No More
by TouchingDaylight
Summary: Right now, Lucy becomes overly pessimistic of herself, thinking that she's too weak. After a solo job where she got saved again and Natsu and other Fairy Tail members get hurt, she decides to get stronger, but will Natsu allow that? Warning: This is a NaLu story and I'm planing on making it a bit smutty later on. So kids, keep away. It'll be mature for a reason.
1. Prologue: Why?

Welcome to my new fanfic. To be honest, this is the first time I've done a fanfic before, so please, go easy on me a little.

I do not and will not take credit for these characters. They're all original characters from Hiro Mashima and all rights belong to that person.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

Nothing has changed, has it? What have I done but hurt you guys? Here I am, just getting protected again and again. Enough. Every time, it's always me being stupid and in the end, being the damned damsel in distress.

"Lucy…." Natsu, don't make this harder than it already is.

I'm not that bright girl you guys take me for. I may be smiling on the outside, but here I am struggling to keep up. I'm not as rational as Erza. I'm not as strong as Mirajane. I'm not as pretty as Lisanna….

Natsu, don't look at me like that.

"Lucy, why?" Natsu, I can't stay here like this.

Even if I am weak, I still have my pride. I may not show it, but I have some. If not, I would not be standing here today.

I'm leaving. I'm not going for good. I'm not that stupid. I just want to get stronger. I want to be more proud of myself. I want to change.

Goodbye, Natsu. Goodbye, everyone. I'll be back. Just trust me.  
-

**Third Person POV *several days back***

Like any other day, Natsu and Gray punch each other silly over something silly, but not that it's any surprise. Ice and fire don't usually mix.

"Say that again, ice princess." Natsu glares with a nerve popping off the corner of his ebony eyes, gathering a fire ball in his palm.

Gray slams his fist down into the table, creating a large crack in the wood. "Sure, flame brain. I. Am. Stronger. Than. You"

"I ain't going to take that from a stripper like you, pervert." Natsu counters, pointing to Gray, who unknowingly again stripped his clothes, leaving nothing but his boxers on.

Within seconds, the table goes flying, and the two mages fight again, destroying everything in their path.

From behind the bar, Mirajane cleans the glassware, listening to the battle.

As the brawl continues on, Lucy walks right into the guild and takes a seat. She takes in the fight, sighs, knowing that nothing ever changes between the two foolish mages.

"Mira, do you have any solo jobs for me to do? The rent's coming up soon." Lucy says, slumping onto the bar table with her head down.

"There is a job I think will work perfectly for you. The only issue is…." Lucy's curiosity is perked up by Mirajane's hesitation. Usually, Mirajane would just smile, give her the job and wish her luck, but hesitation? Lucy only hopes that she's not pulling her leg, trying to suggest something that isn't as true like the time when she said Natsu, Gray and Erza could be the strongest team in Fairy Tail.

Grabbing the notice flyer, Lucy stares at the job and its reward. _100,000 jewels? That would add a pretty penny to my pocket. Still, this is….._ Lucy thought as she read the job description.

Suddenly, the guild doors open and Mirajane spreads a new smile on her face.

"Welcome back, Erza." The entire guild abruptly stops, shivering with a slight fear.

"I'm back. Is Master in?" Erza curtly says, pulling a large cart of boxed goods that only Erza knew about.

"No, unfortunately. He's at another meeting. He'll be back tomorrow, though." Mirajane replies.

"Gray, Natsu, you guys are getting along, right?" Erza glares, staring at the destruction of the guild.

"Y-yeah, w-we're getting along." Natsu stutters out, sweating out like mad. Within a heartbeat, Gray and Natsu stands with their arms on each other's back, laughing nervously.

Used to this scenario by now, Lucy stands up and walks out, still thinking about the job. Little did she know that she would regret this job soon.

* * *

So, guys, tell me what you think. Please do be gentle. I've never taken any form of writing classes, so this is a newbie to me. If you have any tips, let me know. I'd really appreciate it.

Warning: This is going to be a NaLu story. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to format it, but I will make the characters slightly OOC. Not competely, but a little. Also, thanks for reading. I kind of wrote this for my own amusement, but anyone is free to enjoy it.


	2. I've Had it

So, I kind of wrote this after the first chapter and since Fanfiction doesn't allow me to read the comments yet, I'll have to continue without much of an idea what you guys think. I'm just grateful some people are even reading the story.

Again, I take no credit for the characters. They're all from Fairy Tail, created by Hiro Mashima.

** I just realized that I messed up a part, so I edited it a bit. Most of it's still the same though.

* * *

**Natsu POV**

Argh…. Erza won't let up…

"Natsu!" Ah, that's where Happy was.

"Happy! Wanna eat!?"

"Mmm!"

"Mira, give me some food! I don't care what it is. I'm starved." Man, I haven't eaten since morning.

"Sure thing, Natsu." Ahh…. That hit the spot…. Hmm?

"Hey, Mira. Was Lucy here?" Her scent's here, but I don't see her. It's all that pervert's fault, trying to mess with me.

"Natsu, you just missed her about half an hour ago. She left while Erza was scolding you and Gray. She's looking into doing a solo mission." Shucks. She left. And I wanted her to do a job with me and Happy.

Wait, solo?! That idiot! I told her not go solo. I don't want her hurt.

"What was the job?" I don't care if it's meant to be solo or if Lucy wants to go alone. I'm going. There's no fucking way she's going alone.

"Natsu." Oh, just what I need…

"What, Erza?" I'm not in the mood for a lecture.

"Let Lucy do what she wants. She can handle herself." Yeah, and look what that got us last time.

"Natsu, you don't have to worry about her. It's not that hard of a job." Not that hard, huh?

"Then spit it out. What is the job?" I'm not going to let her go like this. No way in hell.

…. Why is Mira not saying anything? Why won't she look at me? What is going on?…

"Natsu, it's not your business." Like hell it isn't.

"She's my team mate, Erza, I need t-"

"No, you don't, Natsu." Luce? What do yo-

"It's my choice whether or not I go on a solo mission. And it's not dangerous, this job. There's no fighting, no long distance traveling, nothing. It's just doing some detail work." Detail work, huh? Is that so?...

"Then let me join!" Hey, it can't hurt for me to join, right?

"No." No? Why not?

* * *

**Lucy POV**

Yeesh, Natsu. I'm not a kid. I'm capable of doing a job on my own.

I'm not going to let him push me around. "A. I need to gather enough money for rent. If I split it with you, I'm still short by 10,000 jewels and there's no other mission right now that I can do, even with you."

Besides, I need some time for myself too. A girl's gotta have some space!

"B. Natsu, didn't you say you were going to train with Happy? Isn't it better for both of us to do our own things for a while?" Isn't that the more logical thing to do?... Wait, I'm dealing with Natsu here. Of course logic doesn't work.

"Hey, I can do training and help you out with the job. Come on… I need money too…"

Natsu, I know you're spoiled, but this is ridiculous. I know you have enough money. Happy's a great resource of information for this stuff.

"Natsu, I need to do this alone. Not to mention, every time we go on a mission, most of the money is sucked away due to you breaking everything in sight." Got you there, didn't I?

"But!" Why are you so insistent, Natsu? Am I that weak in your eyes?

"Natsu, enough! I've just about had it!" Why am I doing this? It's not meant to be that big of a deal...

"I am free to do what I want, where I want and however I want to! You may be my team mate, but even I can't handle this!" Why am I so frustrated with him caring? Usually, it doesn't faze me. Why now?...

Natsu... why are you looking at me like that? Why are you acting like I slapped you?

"Natsu, let her go." Yes, please. Just let me go...

I take that nod as yes, then.

*sighs* "Natsu, I'll be back in a few days. I'll be fine. What could possibly happen?" Yeesh, I'm not good with his pouting face. If he just listen to me a little bit more…

Wait, why did I just think that? Oh, never mind. Let's get this job over with before I start doubting myself more.

I have to admit though, I wasn't expecting someone to post this sort of job. Doesn't really suit Fairy Tail's style.

**Job Description: Party Organizer Needed for A Bachelor's Party. Requires Celestial Keys**

**Reward: 100,000 Jewels (Additional Reward: Book of Keys)**

I'm not exactly sure what this Book of Keys is, but I'm curious.

* * *

Again, thank you guys for reading my story. I'm not exactly sure where I should take this in, but I'll hopefully hint at a bit of NaLu. Don't expect any smut yet, guys. This needs to have a little bit more development before I get to that stuff.  
Guys, let me know what you think. I'm not a psychic, so I can't tell if I'm doing good or not. Anyways, thanks again for reading. Have a good night, guys.


	3. Suspicious

So guys, how have you guys been? As to why I'm posting this up so rapidly. I just happened to have the idea and some time to write it down, so I thought why not. Keep in mind, it probably won't be like this often. Let me know what you guys thing about the storyline so far. Remember, I'm a newbie, so if I'm doing something wrong, I won't pick it up unless someone tells me otherwise.

Again, I take no credit for these characters. They're all Hiro Mashima's.

* * *

**Third Person POV**

Watching from the door, Natsu could stare at Lucy from behind. His dampened face affects everyone in the guild, perhaps not in the way he would wish them to though. The snickerings, the gossip; all of these things were expected, specifically of the ladies who are starved for some "love details."

At times, ladies like these become the death sentence of many, in terms of their sanity.

Natsu, clearly displeased, wanders out of the guild with a slightly slumped back.

Happy, after ending his clearly one-sided talk with Charle, only blinks a few times before realizing that he was left behind again and flies after Natsu.

Although Natsu became furious only a few minutes ago, all of his liveliness seems to have disappeared. And yet, within another moment's notice, his mood changes again. Frankly, it is strange, seeing how he acts like a 6 year old in a 19 year old body.

_Was I that possessive? _Natsu pessimistically says.

He only smirks lightly at himself. Knowing that may be true, he remains clueless for what can he do about it. It is not like she is that weak and even if he chases her, she will only move away.

Blinded by worry and ignorance, Natsu fails to notice that there was an extra little note at the bottom on it…

***Will Pay Extra for Cosplaying**

Lucy, in her apartment, realized this note earlier when she scanned the flyer in the guild. Still, frustrated with Natsu's reaction, she wills herself to do the job. She knows fully well that she would have to do the job whether she wanted to or not.

Her rent is coming up and with her lack of strength, at least in her eyes, she desires to better herself. Foolishly, she puts her effort into her newly acquired job.

**Lucy's POV**

The job itself is simple. I've contacted the guy who posted this up and apparently, they have all the materials; these guys just want a second opinion.

For 100,000 jewels, it's almost too good to be true. Also, that Book of Keys adds a definite benefit. Still, the extra note…

"Cosplay, huh?" Kind of an odd request. I can see why Mira was cautious about this…

Well, it never said what type of cosplay, so let's keep it simple. Something that I won't feel back about later. If they ask for something more, I'll just refuse the extra money and get the original pay. Still, more money is better….

*sighs* After looking through my closet, nothing I have really works. I may be fashionable, but cosplaying's out of my range of expertise.

"Virgo, I summon thee." She could give me something, I guess?

"Have you summoned me for punishment?" …. Virgo, how many times have I said I'm not into S&M?

"No, Virgo. Do you have anything I could wear for cosplay? Nothing really skimpy or outrageous. Let's keep it simple." Worse case, I could wear a maid's outfit like that time with Natsu.

…. Natsu, does he still have that maid outfit in his house?...

"I think I may have just the item."

To think that Virgo would have this… I was expecting something interesting, but….

"Is it not to your liking, Princess?" My liking, it suits. Still, a phoenix?...

**Happy's POV**

Lucy looked angry earlier. Wonder why…

Ah! Fish! Maybe I could give some to Charle.

Hmm? Natsu? What are you hiding in the bushes for?

Ah! Lucy! She's in her house! I ca-

Oh….. He liiikesss heerrr…..

Lucy isn't looking his way. Peeking?

Oh… this looks fun.

I'm gonna tell Erza and the others.

**Third Person's POV**

Hidden beneath the tree next to Lucy's window, Natsu spies on the so called "cosplaying" that Lucy is testing out with Virgo.

Truly, the cosplay looks nice on Lucy, although questions arise as to how Natsu is taking it.

The phoenix wraps its tail around the body, creating a slanted skirt that reveals a decent amount of her right leg and the neck of the phoenix wraps about Lucy's neck, creating a stylish sleeveless dress. The golden, onyx and crimson colors create a burning sensation and match with Lucy's leg bracelet of obsidian gold and her burgundy heels.

Although Lucy and Virgo both agree on the outfit, Natsu remains frozen down below. In an instant, his cheeks reach the same color of red as Lucy's dress and before a moment passes, Natsu smells something else.

Usually, Lucy smells sweet, like vanilla with a hint of cinnamon, but now, something else mingles with her scent, something that drives Natsu to his knees.

_Shit, what is that? She smells…. No, she's not like that. Perfume, she does, but not this scent_. Natsu thinks, clutching the ground with his hands. Truly, Natsu is at a loss.

The scent that drove him mad happens to be a perfume Virgo provides to Lucy. Lucy does not know the scent, but Virgo apparently states that it matches with the dress.

True, the scent is more mature and gives off a fiery feeling, but… she feels slightly strange.

Perhaps the perfume is new to her, perhaps something else? Who knows…

Somehow, Lucy became more at ease with herself. Now that she has everything set up, Lucy packs her bags, letting Virgo take away the dress until the necessary time.

After an hour of packing, Lucy checks for the next train. _In 2 hours… I guess I can grab a bite to eat._

As soon as she opens the door, Natsu stands right in front of her, panting with his head down. Lucy looks at him curiously, wondering why he decides for once to enter through the front door.

* * *

Warning: Future lemon in thought process. I'm hoping for that, but I might prolong the torture just to bring a little more angst into the plot. I know the chapters are short, but right now, I'm running on Hi-Chews, and for those of you who know what those are, I can guarantee you, they don't last long.

Leave a review telling me how I'm doing. I'm actually thrilled to see people reading this story, so I thank you guys and have a good read.


	4. Your Fault

So, guys, how was your day? Frankly, I got this in the middle of my commute, so I decided to write it down before I forgot. Tell me what you guys think about it. Frankly, I'm just shocked that people are actually reading this. Warning: I don't know how often I'll post. I might keep up this pace. I might not. So fair warning.

No, I'm not the creator of these characters. The credit belongs to the great Hiro Mashima.

* * *

**Natsu's POV**

What is that scent?... Why did you put it on, Luce?

"N-natsu?" Luce, I swear, you screwed up. Yeah, you screwed up.

"Luce, where the hell are you going?" Like I'm letting you go. Not after seeing that.

"My job, Natsu." A job, huh? What sort of fucking job requires you to wear that? And you were smiling about it? You don't wear that sort of shit for a normal job. Not to mention your scent… Shit…

"Natsu, just go train. You said you were anyways." How in Mavis's name am I supposed to concentrate after seeing you in that?! Even if I did, I'd never stop thinking about you.

Luce, I don't know everything about those so called "hormones," but I'm not that ignorant. I'm still a healthy young guy. Even I can get fucking horny and whatever scent you have on right now is killing me.

Not to mention, that dress.

Why the hell were you wearing it? Your usual clothes, I almost got used to without getting a boner after the first month. Why else would I wear such lose pants?

Like hell anyone else is going to see you in that dress.

"Wh-what's your problem, Natsu?!" You. You're my problem. Ever since this morning, no, even earlier. I don't know what the fuck is your problem, but you started acting distant.

"Why won't you answer me, Natsu!?" You never answered mine. Lucy, you're my partner. Why did you start moving away from me and Happy?

You never cared if we came or not on your missions. Even when you were pissed, you were okay with it after a little bit. Hell, I even thought that you wanted the company.

Why now? Why? What did I do?

"Natsu, you're scaring me…" Scaring you? I'm terrified here. You won't work with me. You don't even give me a "hey". And suddenly, you do this? No, Luce. This didn't start with me.

"Natsu, move." No. No, you got me riled up like this. You're paying for it.

**Gray's POV**

Where did that idiot go? If it wasn't for Erza, I would give a damn about him. Now, I gotta find the bastard.

"Sir, your shirt." Shit, when did I-

"Natsu, move." Isn't that Lucy?

Ah, there's the bloody… What's he doing with Lucy?

"Natsu! The hell you doing, man?!" Why is he pushing Lucy down like that!? Not cool, hothead, not cool!

"Gray, keep your ice butt out of this." You think I'd do that after seeing you toss Lucy like that? Who would?!

"Natsu, what the heck is going on? Even if you're pissed, Lucy's still nakama!" I don't get it. Natsu would never do this, normally. Hell, he doesn't even look normal now. Where's that lucky go happy idiotic look on his face? His eyes look like they're going to burn the house down.

"Gray, unless you have a damn good reason why you're in my way, scram." Fuck that, Natsu. I'm not going anywhere.  
-

**Erza's POV**

*sighs* 4 broken tables, 10 broken seats and enough spilled alcohol to make Cana cry.

Honestly, why are those stupid fools always destroying the guild? I should scold them more. This is clearly showing my lack of discipline lately.

"Erza!" Happy? Why are you snickering with your paw on your face? Unless you have something int-

"Natsu's peeking on Lucy!" Come again?…

"Happy, what did you just say?"

"Aye! Natsu's peeking on Lucy. I saw him in the bushes looking up at Lucy through the window." Dragneel… clearly, I need to remind you your manners.

I thought I sent Gray out after him, but clearly, that fool isn't doing his job. I guess I can kill two birds with one stone.

"Mira, tell Wendy to be in the guild in about half an hour. She's going to have a little patching up to do. Also, Mira, tell Master that when he comes back, he needs to straighten these idiots out."

Natsu, Gray, you two idiots better be ready because I'm not going easy anymore…

**Third Person's POV**

As Erza leaves the dorm, Lisanna came in, listening to the whole situation from the door. She glances a worried look to Mira who only shakes her head.

Unable to do anything, Lisanna joins her sister behind the counter and starts polishing the dishes with long face. Mira puts her hand on Lisanna's shoulder and simply comforts her.

"Let them have some time to sort things out." Mira says as Lisanna starts to gaze sadly at the door, watching Erza put her boxes away.

By the time Erza leaves the guild, Natsu and Gray glare at each other with equal strength, leaving Lucy slumped down on her bed, unable to do anything.

As much as Lucy wants to stop the two, she finds herself unable to because before she knows it, Gray and Natsu begin punching each other right in front of her apartment.

"Karyuu no Tekken!" Natsu roars out, dishing out an uppercut to Gray's stomach. Gray pushes himself back, reducing the damage done to his stomach

"Ice-Make Fishnet!" In a futile effort, Gray attempts to capture Natsu long enough to at least hear what is happening, but as expect, fire doesn't listen to ice that easily.

Natsu melts the ice, takes in a deep breath and blows out large amounts of flaming breath. "Karyuu no Houkou! Stay out of this, pervert!"

"Then tell me why you were hurting Lucy!? Ice-Make Lance!" Both clashed at each other's weapons, holding each other's attacks at bay.

"I was not hurting her!" The battle continues on. The townspeople start scurrying away from the battlefield, hoping that nothing major will be broken. Ironically, no damage was done to the surroundings despite the clearly out of control fight.

Lucy, now able to stand, starts running into the battle, calling out for them to stop. Unable to fully keep her balance, she slips and tries to catch herself.

"Guys! Stop this! Gray, it was nothing!" Lucy pleads out.

"You honestly expect me to believe that it was nothing!? I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid, Lucy!" Well, at least Gray is not that stupid. Still, there's a bigger problem about to happen.

"What is happening here?" Erza states, carrying her sword in hand and a fire on her back. No, she was not happy to say the least.

* * *

Well, you can say I kind of went nuts with the POVs, but hopefully, this was slightly interesting to you guys. Also, how did you guys like what I did with Natsu? Give it a quick R&R and tell me what you guys think.

Again, thanks for the amount of readers. It's great to know that my story's being read at all.


	5. Separate Paths

Thank you, skelekc for being my first review! I'm glad to know that someone's thinking that I'm doing okay.

Now, I'm warning you guys ahead of time. I have finals coming up and every college student knows that finals are priorities. So this is probably going to be the only update for a while. If I have time, I might post another one up. Until then guys, this'll be it for a while. Enjoy it, guys!

Copyrights all belong to Hiro Mashima and Fairy Tail. No need to say more.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

Why is this happening? I was just going to get some lunch before leaving and this happens?! I just wanted to do a mission by myself (although I can't say it was best of jobs out there) and out of nowhere, Natsu just busts in, just staring at me without even explaining what the hell he was doing here.

"Natsu, Gray. I thought you two were getting along. Or were you pretending to get along?.." Ah… what is going on? … I'm just feeling so messed up….

"Erza, stay the fuck away from me right now." Natsu?... You never went against Erza cause you were always too scared of her. Even Gray here is shocked at what you said!

"Oi, flame-tard, are you seriously fighting Erza? You know what hell comes along with that." We've all seen it. Natsu, why?

"I don't give a shit. Anyone in my way is either leaving or getting wrecked." This is just too much….

"You want a battle, Dragneel? You got one." No! Not in front of my apartment! Dammit, I have to leave now for the train. Dammit, Natsu, I can't take this anymore!

I know this is my fault, but what do you expect?! I couldn't get in between you and Lisanna catching up! I couldn't just say, _Natsu, leave Lisanna alone and come with me._ I'm not that selfish! I know you two have a lot of history and I thought you guys needed some room.

Now all the sudden, you act as if I'm your little pet who just disobeyed you!? I can't do that, Natsu! I have my own life and now I'm going to do my own job.

"Okay, I have to get my stuff…" I can only hope I can make that train… I'd hate to leave this to Erza and the others, but right now, I can't handle Natsu. I'm sure he'll be fine after a few days to cool off.

"Lucy?" Gray, I'm begging you. Don't let Natsu know I'm leaving!

I take that nod as a yes. Thank you, Gray. At least I know some of you guys are on my side.

* * *

**Happy's POV**

Ohh…. There they are. Natsu and Erza are fighting?

This looks fun. I should start a bet.

I'm betting on Erza.

"Happy!" Eh, Lucy?

"Happy, I need a favor!"

"Lucy! Whatcha need?" I hope she gives me some fish.

"Happy, can you take me to the station?" The station? What for?

Oh, right. The job.

"Whatta about Natsu?" Lucy? Why do ya have red cheeks?

"Natsu's fighting Erza. No way to take him!" Ah, that's why.

"I'll give you some fish if we hurry!" Ooo, that'd be nice to give to Charle.

"Aye!"

* * *

**Lisanna's POV**

What is that sound? Is that-

"Dragneel!" Erza? What in Mavis's name is happening here?

"Natsu!" Natsu, what is this? You're not like this usually. The smiles you usually have, the happy feeling that you gave off, the caring side of you, where did that go?

Why are you glaring at me? How is Natsu acting like this?

"Lisanna! Get away from him! He's gone berserk!" Berserk? Over what? Lucy? Why her? She's not even here at this moment…

I can't see her anywhere. It doesn't look like she's in her apartment. She left the guild earlier, so she's probably not there. Usually, she would be running to the fight to see what was happening, but why is she gone?

"What's this?" A ribbon? Isn't this Lucy's? It has to be. She's the only one who wears this sort of ribbon. It's torn at parts, even a bit burnt. Did Natsu do this to her? Did he…

"Natsu!" I have to get answers. I won't let you just leave me in the dark. I am your childhood friend; I'll be by your side, even though I know there is more to this than it seems.

"Lisanna, get out of the way! Kureha: Gessen!" No, no. You guys can't fight! I don't want to see this happen in front of me. Can't we stop it!?

"Natsu! What did you do to Lucy!?" … Natsu…. I have to know….

"I didn't do a damn thing to her! Why does everyone keep fucking questioning me?!" You're the one in complete rage. Of course I would ask you!

"Why is her ribbon like this then!?" Natsu?... Your face just paled and you stopped moving. Are you calming down now? Please, be the happy foolish Natsu that I…

"I-I didn't even touch her ribbon?!" Then why is it burnt? I doubt that she burned it herself. Not to mention, why is her ribbon here when she's not?

"Dragneel, what's the meaning of this?"

"I don't know! I didn't use any fire magic until Gray butted in!" Then…

What were you doing here? I know you've gone to Lucy's place a lot before, but you've been spending your time more with me for the last few months. You usually don't see her at her home anymore. So why now?

Is it because of the job? The one Big Sis was hesitating about? Natsu, what are you so angry about?

* * *

**Gray's POV**

Natsu, you're being so possessive over Lucy. It's best you two are as far away from each other's way as possible. At least until you cool off, pinkie.

God, what was even the job Lucy took? I know she's proud in her own way, but she's not completely reckless. She knows when to back out, even too early sometimes. She doesn't have the guts to go nuts unless she knows something important's on the line.

Oy, idiot, just what has gotten over you?

"Gray, I'm going to drag this fool back to Fairy Tail and lecture him. Take care of Lisanna." …. Aye, aye, ma'am. Still, even I pity flame brain right now. He's going to go through another hell and he's already out of energy.

"Gray…" Lisanna. This can't be good for her. We all know what she feels for Natsu. Still, she keeps trying to nice to everyone. She really hasn't changed.

"You're best off heading back to Fairy Hill. The others should be there right now. Guild's no good right now, right?" … I thought so. You definitely shouldn't go to the guild, Lisanna.

"I'll take you there." Now that this is settled… What is Lucy up to?

* * *

So, take a moment to tell me what you think? Am I overdoing it with the amount of POVs and stuff like that? Give a little R&R and see you guys later (meaning a few weeks... {Sorry, guys. Duty calls!})


	6. Screwed

I got some time for break and I just needed to write something down. I was debating whether to do these two scenes just cause it's starting to sound like other fanfics. Let me know if you guys are starting to see that trend. Anyways, enjoy the update guys.

Again: all of the characters are Hiro Mashima's work

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

"Welcome, Miss Lucy! Thank the stars above that you came so quickly!" …. This guy is quite something. I don't mean to be mean, but…. he could be a member of Blue Pegasus with that personality. The "glitter," the moves and the red rose? Yeah, he definitely would enjoy being in that guild if he had a power.

"It is such a shame though that you're only staying for right now." No, I think it's a good thing I'm not staying permanently. My sanity needs to stay alive, thank you very much. And that really overdone grin is not helping…

"So, um… what is it that you require me to help out with?" Let's just get this over with, please.

"So far, we just need to you to look over the designs of the rooms. If you would kindly follow me." All right, I can do this. I can prove it to that idiot that I'm not that helpless; that even I can do something on my own.

*1 hour later*

I think everything's covered. Frankly, there's very little for me to do. This job is too good of a steal….

The walls are covered with red silk curtains with black lace and all that's in the center of the room is a large round table with various dishes: pastries, minced pie. Even roasted pig? Oh, the caviar looks too good….

"You can have a taste." Crap, he noticed. Well… since he offered…

"Anything else that I should look over?" I should at least try to do my own job…

According to Aoi (ah, that's the guy right next to me), they plan on bringing in some instrumentalists in: a pianist, some violinists, a flutist, the works.

For a formal ball party, this is fine. Still, I don't understand why they asked me to come. They had all of the materials at hand and they already were cooking the meals before I came here. Not that I'm complaining. It makes my job much easier.

Still, how does this require the keys and the cosplay? My job is looking over things; anyone could have done this. Also, the cosplay doesn't match the theme of the party at all. They gave no requirements on it, so I presumed it could have been anything. Did I miss that on the flyer?

Also, 100,000 jewels for this? Some reason, I can't help but worry.

"Miss Lucy, thank you for your gracious advice on behalf of all of us." I've only seen you and the kitchen staff here. And as far as I can see, they don't really like me….

"May you grace us with your elegant self for this party?" …. I'm starting to not like where this is going….

"Um, I think it's best that I don't. I'm not a member of the party and I don't have anything to wear." Or at least, I don't think so…. Besides, I don't want to stay here longer than I should. This guy's getting a little too close.

"No, no. I insist. You must enjoy the pleasantries with the visitors. They will be dying to meet a celestial mage." Hmm… is that why he wanted a celestial mage? I know we're not exactly common, but we're not rare. The way he's looking at me is starting to creep me out too…

"… well, if you insist." If it gets too bad, I'll just run for it. I can at least do that much.

**Natsu's POV**

"Dammit, Erza, let me the hell go!" I can't just sit on my ass around here. I have to get to Lucy!

"No. You're clearly irrational and you're acting worse than usual. Lucy is more than capable to handle herself." How can you say that? She could be hurt out there right now!

"Oy, what's going on with flameboy over there?" Oh great. Metal Brain is here.

"Welcome back, Levy. Welcome back, Garjeel."

"Flame brain here went and attacked Lucy." I did not attack her! … What's with the raise of the eyebrow, piercings?!...

"Oy, pink head." Yeah, bastard?

"What age are you?" What sort of dumbass question is that?

"20."

"There's your answer, Erza. Hothead here's going through his mating season." Wait, what? Isn't it a little early in the season for me? I can see the signs, but it's almost 3 months ahead of the usual time.

Dammit, if I knew, I could have avoided this shit. I wouldn't be so damn confused about Lucy.

"Natsu, what is that supposed to mean?" Lisanna, you've seen animals in heat, right?...

"Long story short, Flametard here's horny as hell." Yup.

"Garjeel, you're going to have to explain more than that." …. It's pretty damn clear.

"Look, dragon slayers learn their magic from dragons who have regular mating seasons. That trait is passed down into us, the dragon slayers."

"He probably jumped Bunny girl just cuz she just happened to be there." So I could have fucking jumped Lisanna? Fuck. Why the hell did this happen? I just…

"Then, explain this, steelhead. My season's ahead of schedule by 3 whole moths." Betcha never thought that.

"And if that was true, I'd jump on every fucking girl here, minus Levy and Erza." Every season, I chain myself inside a steel cage to prevent this sort of shit.

"Why not Levy?" … You did not just fucking say that.

"It's obvious. Dragon slayers don't go after each other's mates." … Levy, even if you're pissed as hell, it won't change a damn thing and Garjeel, you know better than me about this sort of stuff. It's not like it's unexpected.

"Anyways, now that we know what's the problem, we can just chain you up for the season and expect it to go away, right?"

"Nope. Too late for that now." I'm screwed.

"Once a dragon slayer smells someone compatible with him, he's hooked on her for longer than the season. Til the next one." Again, fuck.

"What about the timing, then? Do you know anything? Levy?" Erza, if Levy knew about this, Garjeel would know. Those two are joined at the hip, literally.

"I actually do…" What?

"That's the reason me and Garjeel left on a mission a few weeks back: to find out about that." Start talking, Levy.

"It'll take a while. So, it's best we wait for Master to come. He wanted to know about this too." I can't bloody wait!

"That is not a problem." Master? Perfect timing.

"Master! Welcome back."

"Continue, Levy. Let them all hear what is happening."

* * *

So, what do you guys think? Is this style better? Or is it still confusing? Give a little R&R and let me know. Warning: lemon next chapter. If you can't guess the coupling, I hope you can pick up the hints.


	7. Dammit, Shortie

So guys, how are your guys' Memorial Day weekend? I just had this idea in my head and I couldn't get it out. It was driving me mad, quite literally. So I posted up a new chapter as a gift. Give it a look and let me know what you think!

Also, thank you guys for the reviews and likes! It really helps.

Disclaimer: All of these characters are Hiro Mashima's works. Not mine!

* * *

**Garjeel's POV**

*1 week prior*

Crap. This feelin'… This can't be good. Gotta warn Master. This type of magic, it won't go well for Pinkie.

"Welcome back, Garjeel." Yeah, yeah. Mira.

"Lily, bug off for a bit. Need to talk to Master." Let's get this over with.

"Is this due to what happened during the mission?" You saw it, so you know.

"I see. I will meet up with you later then."

"Master." Can't hold out too long. Squirt's here somewhere, I can smell her…

"Garjeel, have you gotten the information?"

"No, something's getting in the way of that." Makarov, dontcha dare look at me like that.

"Mira, pass me some metal real fast. I'm gonna go soon."

"So soon? You just came back." Yeah, but ain't got time to stay. Especially cause of Shortie hiding in the corner.

"So, what's the issue? Magic problems?"

"Kinda. I dunno right now. But if my hunch's correct, it might have somethin' to Metallica and the other dragons."

"Hmm… all right. Look into it." Best not let Salamander hear 'bout this. He'll go nuts tryin' to find any info.

"Take Levy with you." What? Ya crazy, Master?

"No." Like hell Shortie's coming with me.

"This is not a debate. You're going to need all the info you can get and Levy can provide insight." Squirt can do that, but right now's notta good time.

"Levy!" Master, ya idiot!

"Yes, Master?" Damnit, shortie, dontcha get close to me. I can't take it… Your scent's too strong…

"Go with Garjeel. Something odd's happening and it might tie in with the dragons." Oi, shortie. Why are your eyes glitterin'? Are ya that interested?

"Sure!" Uh uh. No bloody way.

"Master, ya can't be serious. She'll just get in my way." Don't pout, Squirt. It's true and I'm not good for ya right now.

"Garjeel." Damnit.

"Arg, fine. I hear ya! Lily, let's go. Comin', shortie?" Ugh…. dontcha give me that look. It's too goddamn much for me.

* * *

**Levy's POV**

What's with him!? I know I'm somewhat weak, but he didn't need to put it out like that! Just what am I to him? I know I'm short and undeveloped, but I can't help it!

"So, what's this issue here?" You better give me the details or this is going to be one really long mission.

"…" What's with the silent treatment? Come on, we've known each other long enough to at least hold a conversation!

"Garjeel, come on. I need to know to help you out with this job." Aren't we partners?

*sighs* What should I have expected? He's always been like this. Wait, why are you staring at me?

"What?" Hey, I'm the one who should sigh here!

"Look, on a mission Master gave me, somethin' off happened to me." Such as?...

"Give me some details, Garjeel. I'm not a psychic. What happened?" Why the heck won't you look at me? Come on, Garjeel, you need to work with me on this. I can't do anything if you won't tell me. I need some general idea so I can just research something

"…look, Squirt. I ain't gonna beat the bush around. I'll be straight. The magic's makin' me goddamn horny and even you ain't safe from me." …. W-wait, what? Did I just

"W-why?" He's turned on!? Is that why he won't look at me?! Wait, _even you_? So I'm not the first choice on your list!? Do you even have a list? I always thought you weren't interested in that sort of stuff. Oh, this could have been juicy gossip if he didn't mention me into this…

Wait, am I slightly disappointed? Well… granted, the first time we met, he posted me on a tree as a warning to the guild, but now… he's nakama, right?

"W-well… Um… where did you start feeling like this?" Okay, just have to control myself. We've got a job to do. Get yourself together, Levy!

"It was on the outskirts of a country to the west of here, Carade."

Carade? Hmm… That's actually a country with very little information on it. The people there rarely let people in. I've heard rumors from traders who have managed to gain their trust. They won't tell what the people wear, which is a pity, but the crafts are extraordinary. The amount of details on their sculptures, their artworks, their cloths: all magic made. I would love to know more about it.

Still, why was Garjeel there? As far as I know, none of the missions we have go even remotely close to there. And Garjeel is not one to go somewhere where he doesn't need to…

"Why were you there?" … again with the silent treatment?

"Master's orders." Master? Why? Shouldn't he at least tell me the general idea so I know what I'm dealing with?

*sighs* "All right. Well, you were right about one thing: I'm not much help right now just because I'm not too familiar with that country. No one in Magnolia really is minus those who trade in the country and they are sworn not to tell."

"I already knew that." You did? Then why am I here? Seriously, Master, why am I here?

"Then, let me go see if we can go as bodyguards for traders that go there. Many thieves keep an eye on those routes because the crafts are that treasured." I have to do something here.

"No, squirt." Again with the names!

"Why?" I'm serious.

"It's too dangerous for a midget." Mi-!

"Then tell me, who will negotiate with the traders? I doubt you have the patience for this type of detail work. And even if you did, you'd scare the people of Carade away before you got even an ounce of info out of them. I doubt they'd be willing to talk to you." Got you there, metal brain.

"But-"

"No 'buts'. Master told me to help you and I'm going to do just that. I don't care if you hate me or feel whatever. It's my job to help you, like it or not." Just what do you take me for, Garjeel?

"…fine. Come 'ere, squirt. Lily, screw off for the afternoon. Shortie and I need to talk things out." Wait, what?!

*****WARNING: LIME*****

Where are we going? Just what is going on!?

"Ah!" My head…. Just why are you pushing up against a tree?"

"I told ya, I'm goddamn horny. I'm 'bout to jump on any female here and ya come up to me like this?!"

"W-well, I-" Why are you covering my face with your hands?

"Levy." … why are you calling me that now?

"Levy…" Y-you're blushing? T-that's….

"Levy…." D-don't call me like that. I'm going to-

"Mmmph?!" He's kissing me? W-what's going on?

I c-can't… His tongue's wrapping around mine. I-it feels… I can't breathe… I don't want to stop…. Ah… your hair feels really nice… I want to wrap my hands in his long hair… Noo… don't look at me like that… You're making me weak at my knees…

"G-garjeel…" I-I know that we can't, but my body doesn't want to stop… Garjeel… I can't- Ah! Why? Why did you just push me away?

"Shortie…. stop me." E-eh?...

"At this rate, I won't stop. You gotta stop me." Even if I wanted to…

"Garjeel..." His cheeks feels hot. Are you closing your eyes just to hold back? Are you that desperate?

"Um… If I told you that I didn't want to, what would you do?" Garjeel…

"…dammit, squirt." Garjeel…

* * *

And that's all for now. I know I'm going to get killed by a bunch of people for the cliff hanger. I'm just going to put that as side story since I don't want it to get in the way of the main story. (I made it very clear, this is a Nalu Story) In any case, give it a little R&R and have a nice weekend!


	8. Side Story: Tastes Metallic

**So guys, this is something I wrote in advance so that you guys have something to read while I go do studying for finals. I don't expect another one to come out for more than a week. Also, this is a SIDE STORY, so it doesn't have to be read. But... it's a mature GaLe fandom, so for you adults out there, enjoy.**

**Over 2500 views? I'm actually shocked. I didn't think I'd get that much fandom. Also, thank you guys who left reviews. It's helping me a lot. **

**Disclaimer: These characters belong to Hiro Mashima (for life) and without further ado, enjoy. ;)**

* * *

**Third Person's POV**

*****WARNING: LEMON STORM*****

Gajeel just couldn't take it anymore. Levy had a scent so strong and alluring, it took all of his strength to not push her down and take her right that. Considering his situation though, it is not so surprising.

Instead, he carried her, like a little princess and stormed his way, trying to find some place for shelter from the open area. There, he felt open, as if someone could watch her: Levy.

While being cradled in his arms, Levy could only look up at his reddening face, only to blush at her own thoughts.

Neither of them are complete idiots, like Natsu was around Lucy. They became aware of each other slowly and acknowledged it silently. They had self-restraints about their feelings, if need be. However, bit by bit, those chains were breaking down right now.

Whether good or bad, they found a small little rock cove, hidden away by some vines that covered the entrance. _This'll hafta do._ Gajeel thought with whatever reason he had left.

Seconds later, he covered the entrance with the vines, wanting complete privacy. Not cause he personally cared about her comfort, but rather due to his possessiveness right now; no one but he could look at Levy the way she looked at him right now.

From behind, he feels her grasp around his back, shivering a little bit.

Whether out of lust or slight nervousness, he'd never know because before he had time to ask, he turned around only to get kissed by her in a way that makes him groan.

He pushes her against the wall, holding her hands in his, as if to stop the shaking.

Trying to deepen the kiss, Gajeel bends over more as he kisses her, holding her closer to his mouth with his hand on her waist and the other rustling through her aqua blue hair.

"M-Mhmm…" Levy moans with a quickened breath. Her thoughts go blank due to the overwhelming feelings. The slightly touch made her feel weak at her knees. Levy knew how each feeling was created in the body from books, but the real deal always overshadows the descriptions in cases like these.

Parting her lips, Gajeel slips his tongue in, tangling it with Levy's, making both of them moan. Each of them knew where this would lead, but at this point, neither of them care. They were as alone as they could be and they could never act like this in the guild.

Levy, the main gossiper of Fairy Tail, afraid of letting others tease her over gossip, how ironic.

Bit by bit, the kisses became rougher than they already were, straying from the mouths and towards other body parts. Their breaths started synchronizing as they struggled to get their clothes off. Of all days for Levy to wear several layers…

Fumbling at the buttons of Gajeel's coat, Levy instead opted to just pull his shirt over his head. Of course, didn't go so well, but Gajeel simply grins.

"Ain't workin' for ya, Shrimp?" Let's just say Levy isn't the most thrilled to hear that.

"Gajeel, do-" Unable to finish her sentence, Gajeel plants another heavy kiss on Levy while he removes his own shirt. Unwilling to back down, Levy removes her vest, reveal herself in only her bra and undies.

Gajeel is at a loss of words now just cause because he is mesmerized by Levy's smooth body. Yes, she didn't have a large chest, but that suited him. Gajeel never cared for those things. He knew plenty of guys who preferred girls with bodies like that of Lucy's or Mirajane, but he didn't.

Rather than the girls who always showed off their body (no offense to Lucy), he preferred a girl who remained somewhat dressed, someone who was less picky and more reasonable.

"G-gajeel?" Levy looks at him with slightly scared eyes. Shaken out of his trance, Gajeel moves onto her chest, lightly licking each of the nipples, making her blush at the slightest touch.

_More, more. I gotta have more_. Gajeel starts to lose more of his reasoning and starts touching her at every single spot of skin he could find. He slips off her bra and almost tore her panties off.

At the same time, Levy took off the rest of Gajeel's clothes as he explores her skin, reveal the massive mountains he calls muscles all over his body. His body, riddled with battle scars and metal bits, stiffens a little as she ever so slightly touches his skin. Soon though, both become adjusted to the feel of the other's hands and explore each other bodies.

_He feels rough, but I don't want to let go._ Levy's own thoughts lack the usual analysis she always made. Only the feelings echo in her head. _His kisses are melting me…._

Just as she thinks that, he breaks off the kiss in an attempt to breath and then, slowly licks his way down to her legs, both roughly and delicately. When he reaches her down between her legs, she stiffens a little.

"Scared, squirt?" Unsure of how to even speak anymore, Levy only nods. Noticing her hesitation, he moves back up her body to kiss her, allowing her to ease back into a passionate feeling and release the tension.

As he kisses her, his hand flickers with her sex, causing her to moan so loudly, her sounds could be heard from outside, despite Gajeel's very needy kisses.

_I-I can't- i-it's nothing l-llike the books… _Levy's gasps for air and her now glazed eyes make Gajeel again smiles, showing his white teeth.

"Feel good, shortie?" Levy, lost in the feeling, glares at him a little before drowning in the feeling again.

Unable to continue waiting, Gajeel moves his head down between Levy's legs and starts licking her with voracious need. Her taste becomes addicting quickly to Gajeel as he licks inside her for more than she can count in her dazed state.

Slowly, a feeling grows in Levy, making her groan now even louder. She clings to Gajeel's head, trying to find release from her high. Eager to see her cum, Gajeel removes his lips from her sex, allowing his hands to fiddle with her before she cums.

As if trying to escape the almost painful pleasure, she digs her nails into his body as his fingers dance inside her, pleasuring her so much that she reaches her climax too quickly. Unable to make any recognizable words, her body goes slightly limp in Gajeel's arms.

Her heavy breaths fill the area, but to her demise, Gajeel just grins.

"I ain't anywhere near done, shortie." As soon as he says that, he removes his hands from inside her and slowly enters his penis in her, moaning a little.

_Damnit, she's tight on me… _Gajeel already felt like blowing, but struggled to hold himself together for a little bit.

Slowly, he pulls out of her only to slam himself again into her, causing both of them to moan. He begins to fuck Levy with a steady pace, hoping to hold out longer.

Levy struggles to hold on, so she grasps Gajeel's hand, which wraps around hers. Blushing from her touch, he moves his lips over her neck, kissing her on her neck and making hickey marks with his teeth.

More and more, his thrusts became deeper and quicker, making Levy unable to do anything but ride out the mind numbing feeling. She tries to hold herself up, but in unable to due to Gajeel's rather heavy body on top of her.

_I-I can't be the only one receiving here…_Unwilling to accept the one sided attack, Levy manages to turn Gajeel on his back while she takes control on top. Moving herself up, Levy slams her vagina back down onto Gajeel's penis.

_L-levy… well, ya still got some spirit, shortie…_

Starting to regain some strength into her legs, Levy creates a steady but fast pace, relishing the numbing pleasure. Still, within a few minutes, both of them reach climax together. Neither is able to fully move, but Gajeel simply wraps his hands around Levy, holding her close to him.

"G-gajeel…" Levy stutters out as she moves her gaze up to Gajeel's face.

"Ya don't need ta say it, Levy. I know." Gajeel looks down at her, not letting her move away.

Levy only nods down, smiling.

Before going at it again, Gajeel simply grins. _Well, squirt. Ya stuck with me for life now. Not that I mind._


	9. We're What?

So, for you students out there, how's summer vacation? Those of you still in school, FIGHT ON THROUGH FINALS! I SHALL CHEER FOR YOU GUYS FROM BEHIND! Sorry for the late update. Finals ended less than a week ago, but I had stuff to finish up before the update.

Also, I realized I made some REALLY big mistakes in the story, so I'm updating some of the previous chapters. If something is confusing, please reread the past 3 chapters and the side story for clarification!

All of these characters and rights belong to Hiro Mashima!

* * *

**Gajeel's POV**

*sighs* Dammit, Squirt. Ya had to agree…

Look, it ain't like I don't like it. Hell, it was heaven, butcha had to do it now. I can't tell why I fell inta that mode. My season's not til a few months from now.

Well, not that I'm complainin'. My mate turned ta be quite a gal.

… it's morning. Better wake up the shortie. Though I'd love ta watch ya sleep, girl, Master wants us to do somethin'. Well… I can still tease her…

"Oi, squirt. Time to wake up." She's not wakin' up. Well, I ain't surprised. We went at it for a long time. Guess I'll have some fun now.

"Levy." The old "whispa in the ear" outta do the trick.

Heh. That face. Priceless.

"G-ga-gajeel…" Yeah, Squirt?

"D-did we…" Yup.

"O-okay… um… is that normal for you?"

"Nope. Some magic's did that ta me." …don't look down, shortie.

"Oi, my preferences still hold."

"B-but… you said you'd jump anyone…" Dammit, I knew that'd bite me in the back.

"Levy, that was a lie. I ain't a goddamn teenager. Even when I'm horny like hell, I'd 've chosen ya. Hell, didcha think that I'd 've pushta away before I went for it if I didn't care 'bout ya?" So, dontcha worry, squirt. This ain't a fling.

"O-okay… um… w-we'd better go. The n-next caravan's coming in about 12 hours… I-I'll go talk to the traders…." Whatever ya say, squirt.

*4 hours later*

I've been sittin' here for a bit of time and this talk ain't gonna finish any time soon. Damn, midget, I'd hafta say it. By now, I'd just left.

Well, this ain't a cake walk. Carade's very secretive about its magic. Well… if Metallica's there, I hafta know. Same thing with Flame Brain. Ah, she's comin' back.

"Well, squirt?"

"It took a lot of time, but I managed to get to talk to one of the traders. We had to explain the situation. Somehow, he wasn't fazed by what I said, which worries me. He probably knows what's going on, but definitely doesn't want to lose his connections."

"Do we have a way to get in then?" Better be.

"Yeah, I managed to get both of us a ride. It'll be in a few hours. What should we do for the time being though?"

"Well, I ain't one to go in unprepared. Best we stock up on supplies. Lemme know when we gotta go."

* * *

**Levy's POV**

Since we're already here, I might as well stock up on books. I doubt there are any books about Carade, but anything will be helpful at this point. I didn't tell this to Gajeel, but there's something else that the trader told me. If I had told him, he would have definitely never let me come.

_*flash back*_

_"__Young miss, you best not go." _

_"__Why would that be the case?"_

_"__Recently, the trades have not been going well. The Caradians have been asking for strange items; all merchandise about the types of magic in the land. One of them even asked about the price of a mage. It's not something I would suggest for a young lady such as yourself to go into."_

_"__Is there a specific reason why female mages are more concerning?"_

_"__I can't tell you why specifically. Rules of the trade." Damn. I need more information though. I guess that's another 5,000 jewels._

_"__Then can you elaborate on the culture so I do not anger them and possibly cause bad relations?" Good, he's considering."_

_"__Well, their culture really emphasizes the role of the feminine goddess, but they are really strict about female behavior. Any female without a male companion can be scolded by anyone and if by chance a female is found in an affair, the female is killed." Wow, that's intense. I wonder why female mages though…_

_"__Is there anything else I should consider doing before entering the country?"_

_"__With all honesty, I would think it'd be best you do not go, miss." _

_"__Thank you for your concern, but we are members of Fairy Tail. If you have heard of the rumors about us, you can rest your worries; we will be fine. Now, anything else?" Come on, give me a break._

_"… __very well. You will need to change your clothes though." Huh?_

_"__What you wear is far too reveal for their tastes. If you wish to gain their trust, you must wear one of these. I'll sell it to you cheap." You're still charging me… Still… this is… _

_"__Miss, you have to wear something like this." This is a straight up gown with ruffles. What is with their sense of fashion and who would wear this outdoors?_

_*end flashback*_

"Oi, squirt." Eh?

"Y-yeah? What is it, metalhead?" …. That look can't be good.

"You've been outta it for a bit. You were 'bout to buy 50,000 jewels worth of clothes." Ehhh!?

"O-oh! I-I just thought that we c-could use some new clothes!" What the heck am I doing?

"You ain't tellin' me the truth, so spill. What's eatin' ya?" Like I can tell you!

"Miss Levy!" Oh, thank Mavis!

"We're about to leave. Um…. is this your companion? You do realize that in Carade, they are very strict about female code." Yeah… I remember that.

"Don't worry." Gajeel, you better go along with this!

"This man is my husband." Gajeel, I know, it's embarrassing, but please bear with me!

"Your husband? He's rather…. Well, I presumed he was just a partner. He didn't seem…" Yeah, he didn't seem like my type…

"She's my wife. Is there an issue?" … this is even more embarrassing than I thought…. Ugh… this will be bad for my heart…. Not to mention… he's really big in comparison to me, so he looks like he's bullying me than acting like a husband...

"N-no, sir. My greatest apologies to you, sir. Your wife has made arrangements to accompany us. Although I have already warned your wife, I shall repeat my warnings and beg for your safety to reconsider." Like we are going to accept that. If this involves some unknown magic that's affecting Gajeel like this, we can't ignore it.

"Sir, we have already discussed this in person. Both my husband and I will accompany you and your caravan to enter Carade and we will leave with you 4 days afterward once you leave." We can't afford to wait anymore.

"If by some reason we cause ruckus, we shall leave immediately without your caravan and just say we were going the same direction. And I'll raise the amount of money we offered by 50%. Does that satisfy you? " Oh, so you are a merchant; you can learn to weigh risks versus benefits.

"…. Very well. Then, Mr. and Mrs…"

"Redfox.. I am Gajeel Redfox and my wife is Levy Redfox." …. Oh, great Mavis, my face is a cherry right now for sure! Oh… why can't I pull a poker face like Gajeel can….

"Mr. and Mrs. Redfox. Our caravan's here. If you would follow me."

"Also, Mrs. Redfox. The outfit?" I know. I'm changing.

"Levy, what's he talkin' about?" Levy? Oh, right. We're 'husband and wife' now.

"According to the culture, I have to wear this." Yes, I know. It's not travel material, but if we want to get their trust, I have to wear this.

Let's just hope that we'll find our answers quickly…

*3 days later*

"... great Mavis. I would have never imagined this…" I thought I would be entering a completely fantasy world where the streets flowed with magic. Well, it does that, but not the way I expected…

* * *

I know, it's slow going right now, but it'll be fun soon.

Well, I'm a bit out of shape with my writing. Tell me what you guys think.


	10. Pray Tell, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU WEARING

So, for you guys, a new chapter. Frankly, I'm still in shock. I have over 30 followers on this story, plus 20 favorite... I wasn't expecting this. I know it sucks in comparison to a lot of other stories out there, so I'm just grateful for you guys.

*edit* I just realized that this was a non-edited version. MAJOR FAIL THERE _ Reposted with the edited version.

The Great Hiro Mashima-sama will always own Fairy Tail and its characters. No exceptions. These guys, though awesome, don't belong to me.

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**Levy's POV**

"…. Well, I have to admit, it's somewhat extravagant." Extravagant is the mild way of putting it. Every single female here is dressed up as if they're going to a party. Puffy princess gowns, cosplays, you name it. Heck, I think the only slightly normal female outfit here is what the maids where: a dress with an apron. At least, it matches the profession. I can see why the guide wanted me to wear this. If I wore what I usually do, I would have been stared at a lot more than right now… It's odd though that all of the guys aren't; casual here is about as casual as it can be in Magnolia.

"Levy, what've we gotten ourselves into?" You ask me, I ask you, Gajeel. To be honest, I'm just hoping that we can get that appointment at this rate. Still… someone's watching us. Well, everyone is, considering we're newbies, but someone here is not giving us a warm welcome. It's kind of cold and sharp, like ice to my head. I keep getting shivers and it's not settling well with me.

"Why hello there, Miss…" … my, you have quite the… bright outfit. I swear, she has too many jewels. Her dress wrapped around her, similar to robes that the Orientals wear. The gown is a bright crimson color with rubies studded all over the dress. Had today been a sunny day, I would swear that I would have gone blind. She wore her hair up in a bun with a pin cover with what looked to be red stones similar to jade.

"Miss Levy Redfox, ma'am. May I ask your name?" Might as well stick with the formal tone.

"Miss Elizabeth Kladvenska, one of the many noble ladies here. Pray, tell me why you have come here, Miss Redfox. We rarely have anyone come here for anything but trading. Our crafts are beautiful, no? Why, they must be the finest of the land." Yeah, they are beautiful, but when I inspected them, I felt a tad bit of a sadness. The jewels, though shining brightly, glow like a dim light than brightly like these ladies do with their sense of fashion. The delicate carving and handiwork, though beautiful, seem to be covered with symbols that don't resemble happiness; they relay a story of anguish and desire.

"We are merely here to admire the handiwork of your lovely crafts in person. Rest assure, I have no intention of spilling your secrets, but I am curious about something. The men here. Why are they dressed so?" That's the one thing that's bugging me the most. Clothing, I can get used to, but the way these men act; it's too suspicious. It's as if the females are superior to the men in every aspect: money, status, confidence. Not that I don't think it's interesting and all, but… the men here are kind of aloof. They're not like the guys back home. Well, Fairy Tail men aren't necessarily normal, but the townspeople: the guys there at least try to flirt with the girls or do normal work. These guys, they're just staring out into the distance, as if they're not really here.

"Ah, those men? They're merely on break. They will return to their crafting shortly. Now, none of us women are obliged to show you the process. We are, of course, very cautious about our art. However, should you and your… servant require a guide to explore our wonderful scenery, I would be happy to suggest you one." … servant? Did she just call Gajeel a servant?... That is not going to sit well with him… Oh crap, he's already pissed. The clenched fist and cross eyebrows says it all but luckily, he's holding back. Well, there is definitely something wrong. That gaze I felt, it is definitely still here. It's not coming from this woman, though I am tempted to toss her into a wall. Rather, it's coming from behind us…

"Levy, we gotta go. Somethin's not right here." Yeah… I don't like it. These women, though kind of bitchy, aren't like what I would have expected. They thrive on fame. I would have thought that they would have welcomed more people, like they 'welcomed' me. Something else is keeping this country isolated…

"Tell me, Miss Kladvenska. Is there a mountain nearby where my HUSBAND can explore? I am sure that he would rather enjoy the untamed wildlife over the wonders of the city. After all, men are quite different from women, are they not?" Oh, I enjoyed that. That face, slightly tensed. Looks like your nerved are going to burst. Is that a sweat drop I see? Good. I may not be the strongest in terms of fighting, but I can throw a damn good word lashing if need be.

"A-ah! I see! Well… I would not suggest that, even for HIM. Currently, the mountains have been under… some issues. Rest assure, there is nothing dangerous with the wildlife, but… HE may not be able to traverses the land steadily. The rains have soften the ground."

"Gajeel, I assure you, can handle himself quite nicely. But do tell. I love a good gossip. What sort of issues are there? Not wildlife? Are you sure? Certainly, a little rain would not stop one from exploring the woods." Come on, lady. I know something's up, probably related to the reason why Gajeel has been… well.. horny. If it's the dragons or some weird magic, then I am not holding back. Come on, you can't hold out forever…

"W-w-well… there has been some… turbulence in that area. I suppose~… that we could explain…" Bingo.

"But first, a test. We must prove that this… person has the capabilities to do so. Would you KINDLY… sir, show us your skills? Surely, brute strength is not ALL you have, is it not?" … she's getting on my nerves. Gajeel? Do your stuff.

"Lady, I suggest ya step back." Go, metalball, go. Do your... well, that's a surprise.

I'm used to his usual "creating metal rods out of his body" moves, but Gajeel… I didn't think that you would go for this method. Fact is, I'm downright surprised. Instead of the usual metal rods, he shapes the iron from his body to form wings. Not the angelic type, for your information. Daggered shaped feathers with metal studs throughout the wings. I may not be one to fully understand aesthetic taste, but damn. He looks like a fallen angel right now.

"I ain't done yet. Levy!" You got it. 1,000 earth balls at your disposal.

As if to do some wild dance, Gajeel destroys the balls of earth by creating daggers from his wings, dispersing them as each ball starts to fall to the ground. Sure, if he just destroyed them, it would have been impressive enough. It shows his skill, but right now, Gajeel's pissed and wants to throw that lady off her high chair. Who am I to stop him? Instead, he cuts each individual one up, turning the balls of earth into little carvings of dragons. Not detailed, of course, but come on. 1,000 dragons carved from earth made in 10 seconds. I do believe that would be a record, if my information's correct.

"Well, Miss Kladvenska. Is my husband ill-qualified?" Oh, I see a flinch.

"…Creatures of some disgusting sort have taken residence in the forest. In all's honesty, we are unsure as to how to approach the situation since there is some sort of barrier that prevents the men from entering. A woman has foolishly attempted but to no avail." Hmm… if normal mages can't go in, maybe Gajeel can. Who knows what powers dragon slayers have that other mages lack?

"However, I wonder. Why the insistence? Surely you are not intending to solve* this issue? The men here, though they do not seem to be, are quite strong and yet, none have entered. What makes HIM so special?" Why he's special? Aside from his powers? Well, that's for me to know and you to wonder about.

"Miss Kladvenska, I am not proclaiming that we are special, but we are an outside party offering to solve an issue on your side and we have not asked for payment." If you have any sense of costs and benefits, I say this is a steal on your part. Not that we don't benefit. Your confusion is understandable, but I'll make this clear.

"Do not misunderstand; this is not charity. We are here to find out something for our benefits. Whether or not it is related to the method that you use to create your craft is not our concern. Our concern lies closer to our home and family."

"… you are very straightforward, no doubt. However, I must request one requirement then." Oh?

"If he is to go, then there must be someone from our side to watch over him. I still retain my doubts, but if it is so, then this cannot be delayed any further."

"Very well, miss. I thank you for taking the time to listen to my request. Now, if you would kindly excuse us." Although I'm not a fan of this sort of talk, at least we have a lead.

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Well, guys. How do you like the new chapter? I'm trying to change my style just a bit since a friend suggested I give the story a little more meat. Give it a little R&R and have a good summer break for those out of school! Those still in and close to finals, FIGHT ON!


	11. Dance for Me

So here's what I promised. Another Fairy Tail chapter! I've pretty much figured out my weaknesses with this story, but the issue is that I kind of realized that my story is going to run out of ideas really fast and I hate stories that are dragged out.

So here's what I'll tell you. I'll make the story good, but it'll be short. Probably no more than 20 chapters. I'm sorry for you guys who wanted a longer story, but I find stories that are dragged out or dropped are insulting and against my policy as a fanfic writer.

Without further ado, enjoy!

These characters all belong to Hiro Mashima. NO COPYRIGHT STEALING!

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**Gajeel's POV**

Dammit, Shrimp. I knew it would've been a pain withoucha, but damn. I needed ya there. No way I was gonna listen to that bitch for much longa. It ain't like I can't negotiate; she's just damn annoyin'. Well, I ain't complaining now. I'm away from that lady and I caught a strange scent; it almost smells like Metallica, but somethin's off. I remember my old man's scent, but never has it been like this. It smell… like he's in some sort of trance. Yeah, I can smell that.

"Are you comin' or not?" This damn body guard ain't helpin'. He's slowin' me down and he's weak to boot. He looks like a stiff breeze will push 'im down. He ain't old, but he's thin as a stick and the armor he's wearin' ain't gonna do a thing in battle but slow 'im down. I dunno who told 'im what to wear, but he's a pain. Dammit, shrimp. Ya had to agree to stay back there. Not to mention, when I'm like this. Argh, you're in for it when I get back.

"Mr. Redfox?"

"Look, man. I ain't here for sightseeing. If ya ain't gonna step it up a bit, ya're gonna get left behind. Frankly, I'd rather do that, but my wife made an agreement with your boss, so I can't do that. So hurry your ass up." Dammit, the more time I waste here, the longer Shortie's gonna be stuck with those 'ladies'.

"What do you expect to find, sir?"

"Dunno what to expect, but frankly, I can't back out now. Come to think 'bout it, anything weird happenin' here? Since ya guys are closer to the source, I'd have thought ya guys would've noticed." The guy still acted scared, but he was able to cough up a no. Still, his behavior ain't normal. Most guys I meet at least have some sort of emotion on their face, typically fear or annoyance. This guy has none. He's completely out of it. What sort of country is this?

*5 hour later*

"Neh, let's rest, Mr. Redfox. The sun's setting." Dammit, the scent's all over the place. It's strong, but I can't trace it back. It's like Metallica's been all over this place, but there ain't any trace of him. The old man ain't stupid enough to do this on his own. What, is he under some sort of mind control or somethin'? No, that can't be. Metallica ain't so weak as to fall under that.

"Sir?"

"Ah. Right, let's do that." Might as well rest. This guy doesn't show emotion, but his body gives away his tiredness. The amount of sweat he's given off and the pace of his breath says it all: he's a goddamn weakling.

Right, let's think for a bit. Carade supposed didn't exist til recently. I think was about a little more than 20 years ago, but it wasn't well know till… Wait a minute. Carade's reputation for its magically crafted items didn't start hitting off til about a few months after Metallica and the other dragons disappeared. Is it a coincidence? Nah, that's unlikely. They never told us how their crafts are made nor do they seem to have mages that dedicate to fighting or anything.

Wait, that ain't normal. Carade hasn't been invaded once since it rose, but there were plenty of battles happening at the borders. Shouldn't there at least be a few fighters or soldiers here since it's a trade center to other countries? This so called bodyguard ain't that helpful. Not to mention, the only shops around here are for crafted objects. There was only one shop that sold food and the farms nearby ain't producin' edible crops, but rather crops like cotton and raising animals for the sake of leather and other crafts. The amount of food they have is not limited in any ways either. Where the hell are they getting their food from? The traders do trade some food for the crafts, but it ain't nearly enough to support the people. This doesn't add up.

There must've been some inside trading happenin' to support this sort of extravagant culture. It makes sense, but who are the traders? The women? More likely than the men. They look like husks. Wait, why were they like that to begin with? Even though they reply to questions and stuff, they act like dolls. They work for majority of the day without resting and they ain't relaxing after work. They just sit around, staring at the sky.

Not to mention, they're mages. By now, they'd've noticed the magic comin' from this area. To not notice is not possible, not with that amount of skill. Yet, they're acting like they don't notice any of this? Could they be pullin' a faint? Just what is going on here? Dammit, if Shrimp was here, then she could've given me an idea. Wait, before we left, they requested that Shrimp stay. Why? I doubt they were sympathetic to her. Why did they seem so interested in her?

… Dammit, I should have noticed. They weren't interested in what was out here. Dammit, is this a trap?

"Looks like you've seen through it." Why I oughta… I shouldn't've left Shortie back there. They were after her to begin with!

"Female mages are rare in Carade. Her powers will be of great use to my ladies."

"Exactly what for? She ain't gonna be your puppet, ya know!"

Dammit, Levy! Don't get hurt til I get back!

"You wanna battle?! You got it!"

**Levy's POV**

W-what's going on here? These ladies really aren't interested in what I know, but rather… they seem kind of like dolls now. Their behavior's nothing like before. Shoot, I'm pinned in here. If I had my normal outfit, I could move easier, but this bulky dress is weighing me down. Damn fashion!

"Come here, little girl. We're not going to hurt you…." Yeah, like I'd believe that when you're smiling so weirdly. These girls are definitely possessed. Hell, they're walking as if they're puppets now! What sort of magic could… that's it. This dark magic… It has to be a necromancer! Only necromancers can manipulate bodies in such a way. Not to mention… this stare I've been feeling. It's likely from that guy. Looking at the black clad man, I realize that I have to get out of here.

"Why are you running? Don't you want to become pretty like these ladies?..." Like hell I want to be a puppet with those flashy garments! I'd rather die as free person than live without my freedom! I run as fast as my feet will take me, but the puppets are able to pin me down before I escape.

"Now, now. You are very pretty. With your magic, I could create quite a few good products. Your azure hair would be very useful especially…" He reaches out for my hair, but I bite his hand before he actually got a chance to touch my hair. Seeing him cry out in pain, I took the chance to push off the other puppets and ran into the woods. I wasn't sure if I could reach Gajeel in time, but better than staying back there!

"Now I'm annoyed. Come back here, child!" … child? Did you call me a child? I swerve back and gave him a clean punch to the face and jumped back, trying to avoid getting caught again. That's when I notice that I couldn't see that any of the other women puppets. I close my eyes, trying to hear where they were.

Come on. Give me some hint of a sound…. I hear breaths from above. I jump away from my spot, barely dodging a giant dog pile from 20 or so puppets. I touched my leg, trying to mend a cut made by one of the dolls. As if he was amused, the hidden character laughs, as if I simply game to him. His pale grey eyes stand out against all of the brightly colored females, making me feel slightly weak at my knees. I need time to let Gajeel come. So I try to stall him.

"Who are you? What was the purpose of this magic?" Even if I am pinned, I can still try to get information. Anything right now is gold. Besides, this guy sees me as prey. What better way to enjoy a hunt than playing with the prey?

"Me? Why, I am Yew, a humble man seeking power. I figured the scent of the dragons would lead a dragon slayer here, but I had no idea I would catch such a delectable female mage. My men are searching for a celestial mage as we speak. I heard Fairy Tail had a rather busty one. I do love my females with big chests." His words disgust me as they send shivers through my spines.

"Why would your magic make the dragon slayers go into heat?" Come on, Gajeel. Hurry up…. I don't know how long I can last.

"Dragon slayers are only attracted to females compatible for them. For them to be compatible, they must have a good amount of magical strength, stamina or any sort of power that makes them stick out from the rest. You are no different. I can smell his scent right off of you." That last sentence sends more shivers through my back, making me cringe.

So that's why. It was an elimination process: to sort out to mediocre mages from the exceptional ones. Does this mean that the other guilds with dragon slayers are having similar issues? I have to report this to Master and warn Natsu!

"That still doesn't answer how you made them like that."

"Dragon slayers can go into heat under 3 conditions: 1.) When they detect their mate and are aware that he/she is the mate, 2.) When they first hit puberty, and 3.) When they smell a certain pheromone that only dragons can release."

"So you have the dragons that disappeared all in the 777th year in the 7th month on the 7th day."

"No. They disappeared, but I happened to capture one of their eggs before they vanished. I raised the dragon and used it to my advantage." That explains the pheromones, but it didn't explain one thing. Wendy wasn't affected. I remember that only Gajeel and Natsu went into heat, but not Wendy. Why? Unless…

"Tell me, is the dragon a female?"

"Why, yes. How did you know?" Of course! That's why. Female dragons don't affect female dragon slayers.

Bastard. Not only did you take away the future of a dragon, but you used her as your tool. That explains the culture too. Females are not affected because pheromones only work on men. That's why only men were in a trance. None of the men back home were affected, but none of them have noses like Natsu or Gajeel. That's why they were spared.

"Looks like you have seen through my ploy. Now, do me a great deed and become my puppet."

"Puppet?"

"You see, all of these women are alive…" … great Mavis. How?...

"You see, all of these women are mages. With just a flick of my thread, I turn them into my puppets." He holds one of the woman's face close to him and licks her cheek while grinning. His grey eyes pierce through me like spears. As I stand there, my legs tremble out of anger.

"You're going to be my puppet. That's why I told you."

"Well, ain't that swell?" Gajeel!

"That explains the issue. Now, then. You're gonna pay for injuring my mate."

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Yeah, I realized that I was dragging out the flash back, so I'm bringing in the enemy. Give it a little R&R and tell me what you think I should do.


	12. I Won't Run

So, here's a new chapter for you guys who wanted one. Warning, I will be busy this week. I'll try to post whenever I can. If you see me posting more chapters for my other fanfic, that's cause I wrote those ones in advance. There is a poll I've posted up on my profile. Those who want to let me know if they want me to extend this series can input their opinion there. If I get no new input, I will keep the old deadline.

To ZB, thanks for the input and I appreciate your enthusiasm. However, I do think I can't continue this for too long. I don't want to drag out stories to the point where they get boring. I like to follow through with them. That's why I posted up the deadline. It's not like I hate the story; I'm just running out of ideas and I have a lot to think about right now. Thank you for pushing me more.

Now, enjoy!

All of the characters, except the enemy, belong to Hiro Mashima. NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT ALLOWED! X(

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**Natsu's POV**

"It took us a while, but we managed to get our way back. That and… we brought this little one here." Behind Gajeel is a girl, roughly my age. I haven't the strangest idea why she looks human, but she ain't; her scent is definitely like that of a dragon.

"Hey! Girl! Any idea how you got there?" Eh? Why is she backing away from me? I ain't going to bite!

"Back off, pinkie. She ain't good around people. She trusts us cuz we took her away from that bastard." Dammit, then what can I do here?! Wait, she's opening her mouth.

"Um… you not ordinary human, right?" Yeah, kid. I ain't normal. I'm a dragon slayer.

"Mai see. What dragon type?" Wait, did she just…?

"Mmm. I read minds. Bad guy come and steal me from home. Mama and Papa gone. Know not where or why." If that's true, why do you look human?

"Flamebrat, didn't Igneel tell you? Dragons take the form of the first thing they see when they're young. Poor thin' saw that guy instead of her parents, so that's why. She'll still be a dragon when she grows up, but for now, she's a human." So that's why. Can you tell me anything that he was planning?

"Bad man want power. He use female mages to power magic. All turn to dolls. He use my scent to lure them out." You poor thing… Dammit, if that bastard touches Lucy, I'll…

"Mai okay now. You worried about other girl, yes?" Yeah.

"Go. Before too late." Too late? What do you mean?

"Once we escaped, we came back here to report it to Master as fast as we could. Although it seems like we're a little too late. Where is Lu-chan?" So, the whole reason I went nuts was cause of that bastard? To lure out the good female mages? Dammit Luce… where the hell are you?... I have to say sorry. I know that I was acting stupid, but… you are my mate. Why else would I have gone like this?

"Lucy went on a solo mission. She won't be back for a few days." Dammit, Lucy. You should have just let me go with you. At least then, I could be there to protect you.

"Mira, you said the job Lucy went one was kind of odd. Who sent out the flyer?" Maybe this'll give us an idea. Anyone who hurts Lucy is dead meat.

"A lady sent it to the guild. From what I saw, she was kind of flashy. It's not the first time though that a noble sent out such a request, so I just ignored it." Didn't Levy say that the females were wearing really odd outfits? Dammit, this job was a ruse. To drag Luce out! I don't have time to lose. I start running to the door, but Happy pulls me back.

"Natsu, hold on. You're not going alone. Gray, Erza, go with him. Gajeel, Levy, I need a moment. Wendy, take care of our guest." Stop wasting my time old man! I need to get Lucy back! She could be in danger right now and you're making me waste time here! I owe it to Luce! I know what I did was bad, but I have to protect her! Dammit, Happy! Let me go!

"And Natsu." WHAT?

"Bring our child home." …you got it, Master.

Dammit, Luce. Please be all right. I don't care if you hate me or want to kill me. Please, just be safe. You're the only one who's made me this desperate. Back at home, I couldn't sleep well. You were the only one who made me sleep at night. It didn't matter how comfy the bed was; I could only sleep in it because you were there! Igneel once told me that I would give up everything for someone. I didn't know it would be you, Luce, but I believe it now. I never thought you would be that person to me. But you are.

You always cared about everyone, even though you suffered from that bastard father. You were always at the mercy of other people, but you kept fighting. And even when you were struggling, you always tried to smile and do what you could. You were not the strongest, no. But you are my light and I'll be damned if you get turned into a puppet for that bastard!

"Natsu." What, ice princess? Not in the mood right now. Come on, when's the next train?... Dammit, she could be hurt right now. Come on, come on…

"NATSU! Lucy's resourceful. She'll be able to hold out at least til we get there. Cool it a little, flame or you're going to burn out before we even get there. We don't need a stressed out flame boy there." … he's right for once. If I blow here, who knows what'll happen to Lucy… Luce, be safe. Just be safe, please.

**Lucy's POV**

"Loke, I need you to be my escort for tonight. Things are getting too suspicious for my tastes." The cosplay was already weird, but I just thought that was because of the person's taste. No, something else is coming and I don't like the sound of it. Frankly, I'd leave, but that's not exactly possible. They're not giving me much time alone to think, much less prepare something. At least if I'm attacked, Loke can protect my back a bit.

"It would be my greatest pleasure, Princess. So sad that I can only escort you for one evening." If I was a little less on edge, I would flirt back, but right now, something is bugging me.

"Miss Lucy? The party will start within an hour. Please prepare yourself." Luckily, Virgo adjusted the phoenix outfit a bit. It's a little easier to move in now and Virgo created a pocket to hide my keys inside one of the feathers near my hand in case I needed them. It still was borderline when it came to the amount of coverage, but it was still acceptable. Or at least, I thought it was just acceptable.

"Princess, exactly what sort of part was this supposed to be?" You have me beat there, Loke. They didn't say that the party would be a costume ball. Either that or everyone here was insane. The party, instead of being the typical formal party, contained of people wearing from the stuffy gowns I wore back when still living with Father to gothic gowns for vampires. Basically, the cosplay made me look absolutely normal.

"Miss Lucy, so wonderful for you to join us. I see you brought appropriate attire." If my appropriate attire meant my cosplay, then yes, I did. Our so called host simply smiles down at me, as if I was some sort of weak little girl. I know fully well that I am not that strong, but even I can stand my ground. If I can't, how could I face the others? How could I face Natsu?...

"Well then, enjoy the party for a little bit. The main event is going to start soon." I don't recall about any event mentioned in the planning process. That can't be good. Dammit, they won't let us out of sight. Oh, what would Natsu do? Actually, bad idea. He'd just break everything. Damn, if Happy was here, he could just fly me out. We're in an open courtyard with a fountain. Wait, a fountain? Then, that could do it.

"Miss Lucy."

"Yes?" Right now, I better keep my keys ready. He doesn't look like he's interested in small talk. None of the other people are either. They talk, but their words seem so empty. It's like it's for background noise… This is not sitting well with me.

"Your presence is required by the host. If you would follow me." I got them. They're walking me right past the fountain. They are not going to be happy. If I could just fine an excuse to stall there for just a few seconds…

"With pleasure." Let me get a little closer…

"Princess, your foot." Nice one, Loke.

"Ah, I seem to have injured my foot. Would you be so kind as to let the host know that I'm taking a bit of a rest here?" The man hesitantly nods and quickly leaves. Loke kneels down, blocking anyone's view of my arm as I took the time to get out Aquarius's key and inserted it into the fountain water.

"Open the gate of the Water Bearer, Aquarius!" Now, I should expect to be dizzy soon.

"Don't let her leave! Master Yew has special plans for that blondie!" Master Yew? Exactly what does he want with me? Not that it matters at this point. I'm out of here!

"WHO THE HECK ORDERED ME TO COME OUT HERE?!" Aquarius's specialty: water coming out of her urn, creating a whirlpool of disaster and no one, not even me, escapes from it. In a wild torrent of water, all of the guards are sent flying.

"Princess, I got you!" Loke picks me up and avoids most of Aquarius's attacks, but even we get sopping wet thanks to her.

"HEY, BRAT. What did I say about summoning me on any other day than Thursday?" … I'm so sorry.

I hear coughing behind me, so I start running as fast as I could with high heels on. I'm not so weak that I can't even run, so I'll at least escape properly. If I can't even do that, then…

"Well, well, well. What sort of delicacy is this?" Who is this guy?

"A bright phoenix. And a such a powerful celestial mage. You will be the perfect carrier." He licks his lips as if I'm some food… Natsu…

"Who are you?" I gotta get out of here. I can't just wait here like a sitting duck.

"Just your new master." His wide grin makes my skin crawl. This guy was the only semi normal looking guy except for this grey eyes. His hair had a similar shade to that of Natsu's but was distinctly several shades darker than his. He wore a black suit and carried himself like a businessman, but his manners were hardly engaging.

"I am no one's slave. Why are you doing this?" I need just a few minutes… I hope Virgo can give me some help here….

"Just cause." Just cause? JUST CAUSE?! You're telling me all of this was on a whim? Even some of the stupidest enemies that we've dealt with at least had a reason to fight.

"Loke, cover me. Open the Gate of the Maiden, Virgo!" This is a bit pressing on my magic stamina, but this will have to do for now. I have to wrap this up soon or I'm going to get captured. I can't let that happen…

"You summoned me, Princess? Am I due for punishment?"

"No, you're not! Help Loke defeat this guy!" Come on. I chose to come here on my own. The least I can do is hold my own ground. I know this guy isn't weak. Fact is, he's pretty strong. But if I run away, how will I ever get stronger?

"You know, you're not like the other mages…" Eh? What could he mean by that?

"You see, your blue friend had magic, yes. But yours… yours is indeed special. Celestial magic was never rare, but you have a special gift, thanks to your mother…" What do you have to do with my mother? Who the hell are you?...

"Laila was also special. Quite the beauty. Also strong personality. But alas, she fell for that father of yours. Such a waste of magic. She refuse my proposal so many times…" … she got proposed by this guy? Just how old is he? And I can't blame Mom. She's not crazy enough to do something like marry this guy and… I'd like to imagine that at some point in her life, Dad and Mom loved each other.

"And I'm supposed to be her replacement? Fat chance, bastard. I may have not known my mother that much, but I at least know one thing. She would have never loved a man who uses other people for their own advantages like this." That's right. Mom was a kind person. She would never submit to this bastard.

"*sighs* Just like your mother. Stubborn to the bone and clearly blind to my devoting love. Such a shame. Well, you'll still be my lovely little doll." If you call obsession 'love', you have more than a few nerves missing in your head, bastard. I'm going to win. I have to win. Not just for me. For everyone he's hurt.

* * *

Remember to do the poll, guys. I will check it within a few days, so give it a quick look! Also, give this story a little R&R. And for you guys who want Nalu, that'll come in a few chapters! Sorry, can't do Nalu when these two are by separated!


	13. Author Update: The Poll

Okay guys. This is not a new chapter, so sorry for you guys hoping for something new. But I do need to hear what you guys think. I don't plan on dragging out the Fairy Tail story, but I am willing to let it go til at most 30 something chapters. But I can't know what to do for that if you guys don't tell me. There's a poll on my profile and I would really appreciate it if you guys gave your input. If the poll is left unresolved, I will stop the story at 20 chapters. I know this is a bit frustrating for some people, but I have a policy of keeping my stories good if I can. I'm not asking for you guys to review my story or give advice. I just want to know if you guys want me to continue.


	14. Trust Me

So, guys, how's summer break? So far, only 4 people have replied to the poll. Frankly, if it's hard for people to reply to it, I understand. If you don't care, well, that I can't do much about. But if I don't get more replies soon, I might have to consider keeping the story short. It's up to you guys.

Also, thank you guy for the amount of followers and favorites! I didn't expect this to really hit off.

Here's another chapter! For you NaLu fans, this should be a treat, but keep some tissues nearby. You're going to need it.

All the original characters belong to Hiro Mashima! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT!

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**Natsu's POV**

"Natsu, calm down. You're getting more carsick!"… like I can help it… Dammit… Why couldn't Happy just carry me? Oh, right. Too far… OH, there goes my lunch…

"Erza… just knock me out til we get there…" This is gonna hurt…

"Got it." And everything goes black. Frankly, I don't care at this point. My stomach's killing me…

_Ah. Why am I seeing Luce here? I can't really tell what the scenery looks like, but she's here… Luce… Thank goodness, she's all right. But… why is she not looking at me? Luce, are you crying? Look at me… Come here. Don't cry. Who did this to you? Please, talk to me. Let me dry those tears. Please, Luce. Let me help you…_

_I can't live without you. Every single time I hug you from behind like now, I feel like I'm melting. I don't know about all that crazy talk about sex being good or what not. Heck, it probably is like heaven. But being here. Just being by your side, it's enough for me for now. I don't care about all that talk about you being weak. You were never like that; you lit up my world. You had nothing wrong with you. Your hair was bright yellow, like the sun. Your smile always made me feel at ease. And those bastards who kept on looking at you made you feel dirty? I'll kill them. Please, Luce, don't push me away. Look at me. Wait, why are you putting my hands down? Don't push me away, Luce._

_"__Natsu, I'm leaving. Bye." E-eh? Luce? What… where are you going? Please, don't go. Don't walk away from me. I know I left you for a bit, but I didn't know. I thought you were okay…_

_"__Luce, wait! I-" Please I'm begging you. Don't go. Don't go where I can't reach you. I won't try to push you down again. I will give you some space. I won't break things. I'll do whatever it takes to keep you here. I know I screwed up. I know that you may never forgive me for what I did. But please, don't go. Please, don't go!_

_"__Natsu, I want to be happy. I can't keep living on the line between friend and lover, so I'm going out with this guy! You'll bless us, right? Who the… BASTARD! GET THE HELL AWAY FROM HER, STRIPPER!_

_"__You never deserved her, flamebrain! You kept on pushing her and she got scared!" No, no. I never… No… Please, Luce, give me another chance. Please, don't push me away. Not for a bastard like him. You wouldn't be happy with him! Even if it's not me, don't go with Gray. Don't be like that in front of me. I'd go crazy and attack you and Gray. Please, Luce! _

_"__You're not meant for me, Natsu. She is." Who? What the? Lisanna!? Wait, Lis! Let me go! _

_"__Natsu, have a good life okay?" LUCE, NO! _

"LUCE!" Dammit, where the hell are we?! Ice princess, you bastard. I oughta…

"What the hell, Natsu!?" That's what you get for touching Lucy. Even if it was in my dreams, you claimed her for you own. You're gonna pay. Screw logic. I can't fucking care right now!

"What happened to getting Lucy, NATSU?" DAMMIT. Goddamn. That was the worst fucking nightmare. Lucy with Gray? Like the hell I'm letting that happen. No one touches my mate, NO ONE. Luce. I don't care what it is you want; I will grant it. Just stay by my side, okay?

"Lucy's job is up on that mansion. We'll be there in 10 minutes." Luce, I'm coming. I'm sorry for all of the pressure and pain I caused you, but I'm not going to hold back.

"Oi, Natsu. You care for Lucy, right?" Hmm? Well, no shit, man. Would I have done what I did with her if I didn't? Even if she was powerful enough, if I didn't feel like that, she wouldn't have become my mate. Take Erza for Mavis's sake. She wipes the floor with me and I don't feel like that to her!

"Then explain to her how you and Lisanna are like. You two look like a pair of lovers for Mavis's sake!" EH!? Is that why she always left us alone? I never really thought of Lisanna like that. She's like my cousin or sister! I did consider that at one point, but she never struck me as someone I could fall for. We already knew everything about each other. There was nothing we didn't know, no mystery. We tried it once and that failed like shit. She's just a friend now! Luce… please be safe. And we get back, we'll talk. I'll tell you how I feel. I won't push you down; I won't hurt you. So please, listen to me. I'm coming for you.

"Natsu, WAIT UP!" Fat chance, stripper. I'm not waiting for you guys. Luce's up there and you expect me to wait for you guys? No. I'm not letting her out of my sight. Not this time. I won't let that dream come real. I will never let that become real.

*Meanwhile*

**Lucy's POV**

"AH!" Dammit. What's with this guy? Where did he get this strength? He's no ordinary guy. Loke can barely keep up and Virgo can barely pin him down. Dammit, am I never going to get stronger? I can't even handle one solo mission? How can I bloody look at myself now…

"After all this time… the lily will be mine…" Lily? Oh right. Mom was always known as the Starlight Lily… Mom, who is this guy? Mom, please. Please tell me that you and Dad loved each other. Listening to this guy is driving me insane.

"LOKE! VIRGO! Force gate close!" Sorry guys. But I don't want anyone else to get hurt. Not for the likes of me. I just hope that you guys will understand. I'll leave you guys with Natsu and the others. I'm going to train. I know it's goddamn cowardly to run like this. But what can I do? I'm not strong enough. My magical stamina is about at its limit. I trust you guys, but I can't support you. So please, understand.

I take my whip and start running away as fast as I can. Yew looks at me, completely surprised. He figures that I would just sacrifice myself for the sake of my friends. Normally, I wouldn't mind but the thing is that they're not coming and this is not for anyone else but myself. I can't just rely on them all the time. I have to do what I can with the power I have, even if it's close to nothing.

"Leaving so soon, Lucy?..." That grin could freeze even Gray. I can't look back. I run as fast as my legs can carry me and I grab one of the platinum keys that I never really got to use. Yeah, I had one that I made a contract with, but barely used. Why? Because I found out fairly quickly that this key was not meant to be used for combat. It was meant for thievery.

"Open the Gate of the Unkown Thieves, Renaldo!" Yes. Renaldo. No legend was made in his name, but that proved to how good he was. There was not a painting he hasn't marked with his name, no item that he didn't touch and no guard ever realized that he was there in front of him. Renaldo is one who loves to hide in plain sight. His main power was never to fight, but to hide. Right now, I needed that more than anything.

Tilting his feather hat, Renaldo flies right next to me. His brown cape flew behind him as his white silvery hair covers one of his eyes. With his grey half opened eyes, he looks at me and smiles. True, he was one of the platinum keys many people wanted just cause he was good looking, but most couldn't stand him because he wouldn't listen to them.

"Well, well. We have the bright sunshine here. What can this humble thief do for you?" _You know what I need and I know you can read my thoughts. That was one of your specialties. To see into the hearts and minds of people with just a glance. You know what needs to be done._

"My goodness, what a troublesome master. But considering that I was pretty much scotch-free for the last few years and I had a good vacation time, I guess I owe you some favors. Well, then. Shall we start?" Within a second, a bubble wraps around us, shielding us from the world's eyes. When Yew sees this, his face completely pales. He swerves his head several times to see where I am, but he does not.

"Lucy-oujou-san. Do not worry. He won't see or even feel us. That is how my power works; unless I choose to be seen or felt, they cannot do anything." Such a handy power, but not one I personally wished to know. Why? Because I found that Renaldo was a free spirit for the most part. He is an ally, but one who doesn't reply to my calls that often. Not that I needed to until now.

"LUCE!" …Natsu? Why are you here? No, no. You can't be here. Please. Don't.

"Enemy or ally, oujou-san?" _ALLY! But I can't…._

"I see that we're having some love issues. My goodness, what a spoiled oujou-san. Well, it is not my place to stop you, but what will you do, Lucy-oujou-san?" I have to say goodbye. I can't just leave without them knowing. I know it's cruel, but I have to.

"Renaldo, can you add Natsu into the bubble for a bit? Just so I can tell him something." I have to do this.

"As you wish, oujou-san." As soon as Renaldo touches Natsu, he is enveloped by the bubble as well. Gray and Erza both drop their jaws and start screaming out Natsu's name. They blame Yew for the problem, but even he does not know why. Only Natsu, Renaldo and I are in this isolated world here.

"LUCE! You're safe." I shook my head and kept Natsu at a distance. I couldn't look up at him. I knew just how much he was worried for me. All my thoughts were about him, but I knew fully well. Nothing has changed, has it? What have I done but hurt you guys? Here I am, just getting protected again and again. Enough. No more. Every time, it's always me being stupid and in the end, being the damned damsel in distress.

"Lucy…." Natsu, don't make this harder than it already is. No more.

I'm not that bright girl you guys take me for. I may be smiling on the outside, but here I am struggling to keep up. I'm not as rational as Erza. I'm not as strong as Mirajane. I'm not as pretty as Lisanna…. Even if I was, that wouldn't make a damn difference. No more being the goddamn damsel in distress. I want to , don't look at me like that. If you keep doing that, I won't have the courage to say goodbye.

"Natsu, this is an isolated plane. Yew and the others can't see us here. I needed to talk to you for a bit." _Yes, keep yourself together, girl. You can do this._

"I'm going away." Natsu, please. Don't. I know you want to reach out to me, hug me and tell me I don't need to, but I do. I'm weak. I can't even handle one solo mission. What good am I to the guild? If I don't get stronger, how can I pay back to everyone when they saved me from Jose? From my own father?

"Lucy, why?" Natsu, I can't stay here like this. Even if I am weak, I still have my pride. I may not show it, but I have some. If not, I would not be standing here today. I'm leaving. I'm not going for good. I'm not that stupid. I just want to get stronger. I want to be more proud of myself. I want to change. No more being weak.

"Natsu, I'm going to train. I know fully well that you'd want to join me. But I need to do this. I need to get stronger." If I don't… I will…

"Lucy-oujou-san. I hate to rush you, but we are running out of time. Tell him what you need him to know." Natsu… I take one gulp and a tear falls down my eye.

"I love you, Natsu. When I come back, please, tell me how you feel then." Goodbye, Natsu. Goodbye, everyone. I'll be back. Just trust me.

"LUCE!" Renaldo pushes him out of the bubble and I run, crying. I run as fast as I possibly can. It was the only thing I could do: run. Natsu, I'm sorry. I really am. But when I come back, please. Smile for me, okay?

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So guys, tell me what you think. And remember, if I don't get more replies to the poll, I might cut it short. I know from the reviews that most want me to continue. But the poll needs some love, guys. Okay?


	15. Lucy, You Fool

After looking at some of the reviews and the poll, I'm thinking of extending it to at max 30 chapters. As it turns out, I don't think I can actually finish it in 20 anyways. I realized that after analyzing some more of my story. SOOOOO... sorry, guys. I didn't intend on making this a big deal. I didn't have any strategic idea for this fanfic. It's my first one after all. So, you guys get more story.

All of these characters minus the enemy and Renaldo are not mine; Natsumi Eguchi claims those rights.

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**Gray's POV**

"LUCY!" What? Where the hell is she, flamebrain? For that matter, where the hell did you spring up from? One minute you disappeared and now you're here, screaming out Lucy's name? Dud-… Natsu, what happened to you? You look like you're about to break down. What happened? Hey, say something, idiot!

"…Luce…" OI! SNAP OUT OF IT! We're not going to get anywhere like this!

"NATSU, YOU IDIOT!" That got his attention…. But maybe not in the best way. He looks like he's about to break my neck off with his jaws. He's gritting his teeth so badly, I can hear the sound from 50 meters away. No joke; I'm at that distance already. Still, he's crying… Oi, what happened to Lucy? Tell us, you idiot! Wait, Erza. Hold on. Don't kill him! We kind of need him ALIVE.

"Natsu, GET UP. Where did you go?" Oh, phew. She only slapped him. Though I think that was even more painful than getting pummeled. Dammit, where did Lucy go?

"Luce… she…"

"TALK CLEARLY!" Natsu, you gotta let us know what's going on. We're not psychic!

"Lucy, she's… she's going away… She says she's too weak…" Lucy? Why? Why would you say that? And even if you did, why would you go away alone? We're not going to push you away like this. Lucy, what on Magnolia are you thinking?

"Oh… so that's how she got away… Quite the slippery snake, isn't she?" Isn't that…

"Who the FUCK are you?" Yeah, asshole. Who the hell are you?

"Shame I couldn't catch her. Quite a delicacy, that girl is. Her mother, Laila was much more rare, but she passed away before accepting me as her husband. Such a shame indeed. Now, Lucy. Well, she is special too. Quite tasty, I must admit." … WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH LUCY, JACKASS?...

"Oy, Gray." WHAT?

"He's mine." Like hell he is. Lucy may not be my mate or whatever you call her, but she's my family just as much as she is to everyone else in Fairy Tail. You have no right to take this for your own goddamn guilt.

"NATSU, GRAY." DAMMIT, Erza. Don't tell me to fucking get along with this guy; tell that to him!

"Hmm… so you're the dragon slayer near my little sweetheart. I see impudence, recklessness, foolishness and above all, clouded judgment. Not good enough for my little bunny. Same could go for the Ice Maker there. Not worthy either… I see I am the only one good enough for her." … ERZA, TELL ME WE CAN BASH THIS GUY'S HEAD INTO A VOLCANO OR AVALANCHE.

"Gray, take the flank. I'll handle the other side. Natsu, do your worst." Erza puts on her Tenri no Yoroi armor, creating a fury of silver swords that push this bastard my direction. To counter, my hands come together, creating an Ice Cage to hold the guy in. I don't bloody care about this guy, but hell. I am not going to let him go unless he tells us about Lucy and why the hell he's chasing after her.

"Move it, Gray." Natsu was already depressed beyond reach. Now, he had someone to bash out on. Not that I pity this bastard. I don't care so much that Natsu may do something stupid, but I don't know the way he talks about people; makes you think he's on top of the world with that smug grin of his. My guess is that this is the guy Levy and Gajeel met back in Carade. The way he dresses and his manner matches it to the T.

"Oi, ice princess. Go back to the guild. Tell Master to send out every single guild member to find Lucy." …LIKE I'M GOING TO LEAVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BATTLE, MORON.

"This ain't a discussion. GO." MAKE ME.

"Ah… youth. Clearly, you two need to learn to pay attention to your surroundings…" When the hell did he-?

"Well, I'd hate to break up the rendez-vous, but I have things to attend to and a bunny to pick up. So long."

"GET THE HELL BACK HERE, YOU PRICK!" Just like that, he disappear. The bastard. We were helpless to stop him. Natsu can't even pick up his scent. I don't get it…. Dammit, Natsu.

"Natsu, what the hell did you do to Lucy?"

"I didn't do anything! She just… she just said goodbye and vanished. There was this guy with her. Some weird cloaked guy. I think she said she was going to train and she had to do it alone." …what is with this? Didn't she say she wasn't going to run? No, actually, it was good she ran from that guy. He's a royal ass, but why from us? Is she so afraid of hurting us? Isn't this a goddamn repeat of what happened with Jose? Dammit, why can't she understand that?

Not to mention, Natsu's about to blow. Lucy gone was already eating at him, but getting a personal goodbye from her probably tore his heart out. Dammit. Lucy. Where are you?...

**Renaldo's POV**

Now, now, children, lend me your ears for a while. As a thief, I have my little prides from here to there, but as a spirit, I have my own callings. As a thief like the wind, I have little to do with the issues of the real world and wish for nothing more than freedom. However, when Lucy-oujou-san calls for my strength, who am I to refuse a lady? Well, my previous masters were ladies, but never once did they ask for my strength. Beauty is fleeting like the wind. Even I do not wish to remain loyal to one such as them.

For the first time I remember, Lucy-oujou-san calls me. Although I plead guilty for not coming to her aid before, but at the time, she had little need for my presence. Her other golden keys suited her needs more so than mine could ever. If anything, my power would make her more confused. Only in times of great need could my power help her. Stealth would be difficult to master except under the conditions that my master would give up something of she valued: her friend's safety. Knowing Lucy-oujou-san's disposition, that requirement clearly would cleave her heart into pieces.

For now though, she is safely away from that dark mage's hands. Though I am not aware of the situation at hand, I would not like to give up my freedom at the hands of someone such as him. Lucy-oujou-san, for a majority of the time, retains her bright nature. Like a sun. Even in times of great turmoil, her smile brightened up the world as the sun brightens the skies. That man, however, clearly wishes to taint my master. This has her clearly disturbed. Perhaps her whimsical thought about training could be taken more seriously.

"Lucy-oujou-san." Ah, the way she turns her hair always looked like a wave of sunlight. Very suiting for my master.

"Renaldo. We're going to train. I don't know where, but there's bound to be some place. You left a note when I first summoned you, saying I wasn't ready to use your powers, but you came for me now. May I presume that I am ready?" Milady, you fulfilled the qualifications by chance, not choice. Still, now is not the time for chit chat.

"The sun is leaving behind the sky? Is this a wise decision, milady?"

"Renaldo. You have the power to see me even in the celestial world. Although you are a platinum key, you have a power that none of the others do. You know I have to do this." More than anything, Lucy-oujou-san. I knew fully well from the moment you took me in that you bore scars that others would ignore. I remember the day you summoned me. Bleeding on the ground, you summoned me. Although you doubt this, I carried you to safety. I just manipulated the memory of the staff to say someone else did. I vowed that day to stay with you until the very end.

"Well, this little sunshine wishes to shine brighter. Allow for this knight to guide you along the way." Yes, a knight in shining armor. She truly is a lady who should walk in the sun. Besides, the one to walk beside you is already a part of the sky that you brighten. Rather than be the one in that sky, I shall trail behind you, whispering tales of your stories in the wind so that you may walk without worrying about the sadness behind you. You who is the treasure I can never claim.

*1 week later*

Milady… you truly are a wonder. Although many have come and failed this training, I have yet to see one to come so far. I'm already at a loss as to what I should teach you. Stealth was already one of your attributes, so the basics were already set in. Furthermore, she has finesse with her steps. However… I might need to stop. I can concede that 4 hours of training in the mountains, dodging large boulders is a bit much for a lady.

"Renaldo, how does THROWING BOULDERS AT ME IN ALL DIRECTIONS HELP ME BE MORE STEALTHY!?" Well, although my master is a lady, she is an energetic one… I can only hope she retains some of her elegance after we are done with training.

"Lucy-oujou-san. To prepare yourself for stealth, you require one thing: STAMINA. Magical stamina of course is necessary to practice, but physical stamina links together with magical stamina. By improving one's physique, one's magical power increases." Although Lucy-oujou-san acknowledges this, I fear she pushes herself too much to pursue those stronger than her. Perhaps I should persuade her otherwise.

"Take Dragneel-sama. He has bountiful amounts of magical stamina, but never dedicates himself to magical training. How? Because he substitutes the energy from his body as magical energy. However, Dragneel-sama achieved that strength through meticulous and constant training. You canno-" I hope for her to realize this, but like any knight, it is my fate to see her push so far away with no way of reaching out to her.

"EVEN SO… if I don't get stronger… I can't stay there!" Lucy-oujou-san… I have observed those who surround you in your daily life. Even one with no attachment to others other than my master such as I can acknowledge those earnest feelings. Although I've been domesticated by quite the lady, I still retain my capricious nature. My daily abandonments of Lucy-oujou-san is testament of that trait.

"Lucy-oujou-san. Rest for an hour. Overworking oneself will only weaken the body. Although you may be impatient, steady training is best for you." Although I knew from the beginning that living a life without an owner would allow me freedom, having one broadens horizons… more than I could imagine.

"AHH!" Milady!

"I-it's fine, Renaldo. I just slipped. I'm fine." Truly, the little girl who tripped over a piece of bread from 7 years ago became a woman. I guess this one can let this sun shine.

"Very well, Milady. I shall raise the number of boulders to 1,000."

"WHERE DID YOU GET THAT MANY BOULDER?!" Oh, a spirit must have his secrets.

"I SWEAR. WHEN I AM DONE, I WILL WIPE THAT SMUG GRIN OFF YOUR FACE, RENALDO!" I will gladly take you up to that challenge, milady. Any day.

*2 hours later*

Sleeping away like the world has nothing to do with you? That is just like you, Lucy-oujou-san. Your hair's drenched with sweat and your clothes are hardly ideal for this climate. If this follows, I am afraid you will catch a cold.

"Virgo-san, I have a request to make. Can you come to human world?" Do not attempt to fool me; I know fully well that all of the spirits from the Golden Keys have the capability to open their own gate if need be. I think for this case, we have little choice. I know she has used most of her energy, but I have none of the utilities that she requires. Like always, showing up with a quick breeze, bowing down to me, even though I share the same status.

"Renaldo-san, why have you called upon me?" I believe a glance at our wearisome master can tell everything. You never change expression either. Your serious face simply looks at her and tends to her wounds. Well, at least, I can rest for a bit. I leave our little sunshine in your hands, Virgo.

* * *

I remember that some people wanted to know of how Lucy would train to get stronger. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you guys with this only as the training. That would be failing on my part. Give it a little review! Constructive criticism is welcomed any time!


	16. Let Me At Least Dream

So, an extra long chapter for you guys. Those of you asking for more NaLu moments, here's one for you. I figured I needed to remind the readers that this is primarily a NaLu story and I thought of this idea at night, so why not? FYI, I probably won't keep this length up just cause the ideas don't flow that well on this fanfic. SORRY!

All of the characters minus Yew and Renaldo are Hiro Mashima-sama. No stealing, not now, not ever.

* * *

**Lucy's POV**

*sighs* This training is driving me nuts… I know Renaldo's one of the best when it comes to stealth, but my legs are sore like mad. Well, if there's any good out of this, I'm at least changing. My legs muscles were never bad, but at least they're at least more useful now. I just… I just wish that we could speed it up a little. The others are probably fighting right now and here I am, training at my own pace.

"Renaldo. How much more before we can get to stealth?" You always look at me from your high place in the trees, as if you don't have a care in the world. Tilting your hat down to cover the sun from your eyes, hands behind you head, you really are carefree. Well, you make the training serious, at the least.

"Now, now. You cannot rush these things, milady. Frankly, you're probably worse off right now than when you were starting." WHAT? What the hell have I done to make it worse!? I'm getting stronger, aren't I? Then what was the point of me doing this!? You know, you better explain, Renaldo, or there'll be hell to pay. You know what I can do to you even without the celestial spirits…While I am wasting time here, Natsu and the others are in danger. That guy… Yew… he seems to have an interest in my mother, but I can't recall anyone like that from before. Mom, exactly what is going on?...

"Now, now, milady. There is your issue." What?

"Your mind is clouded with such thoughts; that is your failing. If you wish to learn stealth, abandon such thoughts. Focus on clearing your mind." Clearing my mind? What is this, some cheap adventure novel that was stuck in a pile of books in Levy's room? I can't just simply blank out my mind like that! I-

"Stop." What?

"Lucy-oujou-san, in anything, you need to acknowledge that there are days when the sun is hidden by clouds and cannot shine its light on the Earth." …this was another reason why this guy was not one I used often; he almost never speaks without saying some form of a metaphor that I don't understand. The few times that he does, it's only to say he got the memo…

"*sighs*"… Dammit, why are you sighing, Renaldo? I'm the one who wants to sigh here…

"Lucy-oujou-san. No matter how much strength you accumulate, your attacks will never come through to the enemy until you let go of all thoughts. No planning, no concerns. Nothing. Stealth works only if the enemy cannot sense anything from you." Can they really sense those sort of things?... Then again, the world is a big place… it wouldn't be too surprising if that was true.

"Worrying for others is never wrong at heart, but if you want to win, you must let go all of those feelings and become emotionless. Become the wind that slips past people. Become that unknown face that people see, but don't see." … is this really how you got past everything, Renaldo? I'm starting to think it was a bad idea to put down 30,000 jewels for your key. Well, he has the proof. I remember clearly when you showed me the proof from that note.

**flashback 3 years ago**

"That completely, ignorant, annoying, arrogant, flirting bastard…." His note says that his mark is on the most guarded treasure in this mansion? It's a bloody fortress. Like he could do that. I'm gonna show him just how wron-…

"And this is the coral sculpture of the Fairy Queen, imagined by the sculptor, Alexis Marina." …a mark of a feather, at the base of the sculpture, only visible to the eyes of a celestial mage. This sort of magic could only be created by celestial spirits. So Renaldo, despite the unlikelihood actually marked… Heh, guess he was telling the truth there… My 30,000 jewels paid off a bit.

"Miss? The rest of the tour's this way." Here, the guide shows me to the next area and on each of the artworks is a feather that supposedly doesn't exist on the canvases. Sometimes, the marking's so large, it engulfs the entire painting. To be honest, this annoys me a little because it shows just how much of a showoff Renaldo really is…

"Ah, Miss Lucy. A note was found on the floor for you. Perhaps a lover?" Now that would have been a grand surprise. When I look at the note though, I know exactly who left the note. Cheeky poetic moron.

_Oh, fair sun in this dark sky  
As a warm welcome to you, dear  
I show you the truth as I fly  
To repel all that you fear._

"Miss Lucy? Is everything all right?"

"Yes, perfectly, sir. I was just thinking of how to reply to this." That and I could give a piece of my mind to him, that cheeky guy. Oh, am I smiling? I must be because the response from the attendant indicates that I appear happy in some sense. Well, I am, but not in the same way he thinks.

**end flashback**

"Princess, is everything all right?" Virgo looks at me as she passes me a towel she takes out from who knows where, but at this point, I'm too tired to care that much about it. I am sweaty from dodging so many boulders and the criteria was that I could not just jump over them; I had to be on the ground the whole time… Quite the restriction there.

"I'm fine for now, Virgo." I have to be. Otherwise… nothing will change. I will make through this. I have to. If I don't, I don't belong there. I knew fully well from the very beginning that I was weak ever since Natsu took me into Fairy Tail. I remember those battles Natsu had with all those enemies, the strength of Erza's punches on the walls, Mira's demon form. Everyone… everyone had some strength they held inside for battles; a strength I didn't have. I always put my best out in every battle and it still was never enough. Sheer will was never enough, Natsu, to win.

"Princess, it is late. Please rest for tomorrow's training." These days, I'm afraid to fall asleep. Not because I won't wake up; because I might see something that'll make me waver. Natsu…

_ "__Luce." *sighs* Just what I didn't want to see. Please, Natsu, don't show me that face. I know you want me home, back at Fairy Tail, but I can't do that, Natsu. Please, don't let my nights turn into things like this… Every time you try to reach out to me, I step back, hoping that this dream would end. I know fully well that I want to reach back and I have to fight every single part of my body so that I don't fall into your arms. _

_"__Luce, you… you really are cruel." Your face simply looks down as you slowly let your arm fall. At first, I think that you're crying, but really, you just close your eyes as if you don't want to imagine this either. I wonder at this point…_

_"__You think that this isn't cruel to me either?" You perk up as if I just gave you some hope, but really Natsu. It's not like that. I can't come back right now. I know you want to see me in person just as much as I did, but I couldn't bring myself to walk by your side. I'm not strong enough. I know that more than anyone else._

_"__Luce… you think I don't get what you feel?" Natsu?_

_"__Back when Igneel left, I was completely powerless. I could barely pull off the Karyuu no Houkou much less anything else. I know that feeling, Luce. I know you don't wanna rely on us because you're afraid you won't get stronger if you do. I know that all too well." Natsu, you close your eyes and a tear fell from your left eye as you reopen those ebony globes, staring back at me sadly. I forgot about that; you only mentioned it a few times, but I never realized just how much you felt back then and as a child too… At that moment, you walk towards me and this time, I stand instead of stepping back._

_"__Luce, I won't stop you from training." Natsu… I-_

_"__So please… let me at least touch you in this dream." Dream?... But I'm the one dreaming here. You look down towards your right as if you were in pain a little._

_"__Dragon slayers and their mates share dreams, especially when they both feel anxious. That and we act more normally in the dream state. Metal Brain told me." I see… so that's why. I guess it was hitting me after all… Just as I think that, you touch my cheek so softly with the palm of your hand. At that moment, I touch your hand and held it so closely to my cheek while a tear fell from my eye. You smear it away with you thumb and then we both feel like collapsing right there and then. _

***WARNING:LEMON***

_After that, I know that we can't stop anymore. Reaching out my other hand, I touch your cheek and bring my lips just barely touching your lips. I feel them a little, rough, but dangerously irresistible. You couldn't handle it either, Natsu. Closing the gap, you hold my face close to yours with one hand on my cheek and the other rustling through my hair. I don't know why, but I feel your hand touching my hair, making me feel more and more entranced by you. _

_Your kiss feels so gentle, yet sad. You explore my mouth with your tongue, but the passion I feel in it isn't rushed; it's like we have all the time in the world, but not at the same time. You never stop feeling me from the inside; it is like if you miss a single spot, you would lose it for good. Steadily, I feel more and more consumed by the feeling. It's not like those quick feeling of needing release when you're wet; it's a slowly growing feeling that kept on warming me and yet tightening around my chest. I know what it is; anxiety._

_"__L-luce…" Natsu, you look at me with your eyes slightly closed, as if you are starting to lose yourself in the same feeling that I am. I couldn't stand for a single empty space between us; I wrap my arms behind your back and tighten, as if I am never seeing you again. I know fully well that I may come to regret this, but for this one moment, I want to drown in Natsu. At that moment, we fall onto the ground, with Natsu's hands by my side as he holds himself firmly above me. _

_"__N-natsu, I-" You silence me with your finger as you smile. It's not a happy, happy smile you usually show, but a sad smile. I know fully well that we aren't stopping after this and I let you slowly fumble with my clothes, shaking as if I would break if you made a mistake. Easing your hands, I put mine on top of yours and start pulling off your vest. Blushing, you start moving at a faster pace, as if you were afraid of me beating you in something as trivial as this. As if we are consumed by that slow and steady emotion, we kiss, letting all the noise disappear._

_At the same time I take of your vest, you remove my bra and stare at my chest with cheeks as pink as your hair. You lower your hands and start rubbing them with your fingers, feeling the weight of them in your hands. Bit by bit, my moans get louder as you start licking them with your tongue and sucking on my nipples as if you are a baby, starved for food. Unable to resist, I simply hold your head closer and rummage through your hair, feeling your locks bit by bit. _

_"__Luce… I can't stop." Reaching for your face, you crush your lips onto my mouth, completely losing all sense of control that you regain from the dream. Bit by bit, I lose control too. In this dreamland, where we are consumed by these feelings, I can only give into you as you start moving your hands up my skirt. I start loosening your pants and we both start feeling each other in ways I didn't think possible. Even if it is a dream, I don't want to stop. Not now_

_"__N-natsu… that's…" I couldn't hold my moans from his ear, which only made him more eager to flick his fingers and move his fingers inside. Starting to feel limp, I move my hands to your penis and stroke the tip with my fingers. Your blush reddens and you begin to moan a bit too. After listening to that sound, all the flood gates open; I couldn't wait any longer. I move my mouth and swallow your penis all the way in, feeling it twitch with my tongue. It tastes salty and feels slightly firm, yet soft._

_"__L-luce… don't… I'm gonna…" I continues to suck on your penis and move my head up and down, teasing your tip with my tongue. You grit your teeth and allow a bit of your drool to fall as you twitch in my mouth, needing release. Then, your hand held my head down as you release the warm bitter white liquid into my mouth. I swallow it with a bit of pain, believing that if I let one drop fall, I might wake up. Trying to see your face, I lift my head up to see your expression, only to find that you kiss me again, tasting yourself in my mouth. Gasping for air, we break off the kiss, only to stare into each other's eyes. With each breath and heartbeat, I look at you with half open eyes that you share, knowing what we both want._

_"__Na-natsu…" Seeing my expression of lust, you just nod, letting me know it's okay. You lay down on the grass and from above, I come down onto your penis, feeling the shape from inside. My mind starts blanking as the feeling of you slowly moving into me starts consuming me even more. As if you were in pain, you grit your teeth again and hold my legs as I straddle you. Looking at me, you grin, probably thinking of how I become yours through a dream. Yeah, kind of ironic. Pulling out a bit, you slam back in, and from there, I no longer have control over the pace._

_Moaning louder and louder as you move inside me, I could only fall to your side as you roll above me, kissing me as you move. I wrap my arms around your back, etching in nail marks on your shoulder as the tightness of my heart grows and the pleasure from you moving inside me increases. You move my hands to above me and hold me there as you start sucking on my nipple again. Releasing your mouth, you dug your teeth marks just on my shoulder, stinging me a little. _

_Somewhere along the line, you kiss me with such power that I thought I would drown in you; that I would find myself by your side. I feel a little scared, so I close my eyes, hoping to just drown a little longer. Feeling that anxiety, you remove one of your hands to touch my cheek and shift your fingers to entwine them with mine. Regaining to comfort and love from you, I feel the need to release which you resonate from inside me._

_As a last effort to keep control, you give me one last kiss before climaxing. At the same time, I hit my limit and rode out the climax with you. Gasping for air, you slip out of me with some of the cum leaking out of me. You hold me in your arms as we simply regain our breath. Bit by bit, I fall into a sleep, watching you. Before I wake up from this dream, I hold your cheek and smile, thanking you for this dream. You simply smile back, thinking the same thing. Then everything went white._

… that was a sweet dream, but… tell me, why am I soaking wet from sweat? Not to mention, why am I… oh great Mavis. Looking down, I see white liquid at the bottom of my sleeping bag. I look around to see if Natsu is there, but only Virgo, coming back from collecting firewood.

"Princess? Are you all right?" Looking down, I realize the truth quickly. Either someone raped me in my sleep or… what I just dreamt became a reality on both of our sides. Heaven forbid… Natsu… Tell me that you felt that too… please… If not, forget me coming back. I'd rather jump off a cliff...

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Yeah... I felt a little steamy afterwards too. I made it sweeter than Gajeel cause it's not even in close contact; it's a dream. Let our dreams be sweet at least... Anyways, give it a quick review and I'll see you guys later.


	17. I'm Coming, Luce

So here's another update. I'm actually thrilled by the amount of followers and favorites. 60+ followers? Damnit, you guys are the best!

Only Renaldo and Yew are my creations. The rest are Natsumi Eguchi's!

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**Natsu's POV**

The first thing I felt was my skin boiling. It's not like flames boiling water. All I can say was it felt good, but still a little lonely. Plus, I'm melting right now. I'm soaking wet from something that I could vaguely remember. Luce… First thing I notice though about my bed: it's sticky from something.

"… Hell. Just perfect." I had a goddamn wet dream. Though I'm shocked about one thing: there isn't a lot of it, considering what I normally blow and…I'm sore. Even if I had a wet dream, I'm never sore after blowing unless… No. There's no way… I even taste a little bit of blood on my… Luce.

When I look around, I don't see anyone, not even that ice bastard. Not really surprising since it's the middle of the night. Still… somehow, I just hoped a bit that I'd smell a bit of Lucy somewhere. I don't know if I can wait for her. In that dream, neither of us were really thinking. Hell, she looked like she and I were… drawn to each other. I can't even bloody imagine what would happen if I did it with someone else. Metal Brain told me about the dream things, but the connection doesn't make sense…

Wait, I remember something Igneel said about this…

*flashback 10 years ago*

_"__Oi, Igneel. Why are you talking about this stuff? Why would I want to know about THAT?" I was pointing to a picture of some random girl. I don't really remember what he said about that, but he did punch me for it. Probably bad manners._

_"__Listen, Natsu. You need to know this so that you make the correct decisions when you grow older."_

_"__Then just tell me then. It's a pain…" I just put a stick between my upper lip and nose, trying to whistle and walk away. That didn't turn out so well since Igneel grabbed me by his claw and dragged me back. _

_"__Natsu, there will be a time when even I can't help, so that's why you need to know." I didn't really get why at the time, so I just puffed my face, acting kind of stupidly._

_"__Hmm , how about I make a bet then? _

_"__A bet?"_

_"__If you listen to me at this for the entire time, I teach you how to do more fire magic." That's when I actually acted like I paid attention. I hated myself for remember this, but luckily I did._

_"__Now listen, when you get to about 14 years old, you'll go into heat at a certain time of the year. When you do, run as far away from people as possible because you'll attack every single person there for different reasons. Wait it out til the feeling dies and then you can come back." At first, I didn't think I would, but to get that magic, I waited. _

_"__Once you meet a girl that you can't look away from, you better treat her nicely when you're not in heat." _

_"__But what if I like at two girls at once?" Yeah, I deserved a slap at that time. Oh, that hurt, but I deserved it._

_"__If you do that, I'd be impressed and disappointed." Yup. Same here, old man. Same here._

_"__Trust me, you'll find one. She'll be your mate. That means she'll be by your side for your life. When you get a mate, and you will, Natsu, you will be possessive over her. Your powers will be unstable at that point. You won't lose reason yet, but you will be irrational. "Then I asked a really stupid question._

_"__What if my mate's a guy?" Igneel, yeah, I don't blame you for giving me the half open eyes of disappointment. I would too._

_"__Natsu, we don't have that sort of preference. That and you can't mate with guys." _

_"__Why?" Yeah, um… I was a kid. _

_"… __you'll know when you get older. Now here's the important part. There will be a pre-determining factor of who will be your mate. You will have a dream of you and that girl. It will show up when both of you are feeling confused. All of the potential candidates for your mate will have the dream. However, only one will actually remember it with you." Yeah, I think this is what Igneel was saying. _

_"__If you both share the same dream and feel the effects of what you two do in that dream, you two have accepted each other as mates. You two will share dreams until you two actually mate." I just stared at Igneel with annoyed eyes. _

_"__So that's important cuz…" Instead of hitting me, Igneel actually petted me with his finger. _

_"__You'll understand when you get there. The joy of raising someone" I rubbed my hand on his finger and grinned like the idiot that I am. Igneel, your laugh was priceless._

_"__So? What's the last thing?" I started actually caring at that time._

_"__Hmm? Ah, that part. Well, that won't need explaining. You'll already know." Yeah, I know now, Igneel. I know now._

*end flashback*

If that really happened then… did Lucy just accept being my mate? She did just outright confess to me before she left… Dammit, Luce. I really want to be next to you right now… You just leave me here, waiting while you are out there.

Hell, I'm horny as hell and I can't jerk off to anyone else except you. The image of your face isn't enough after last night. I never did it before to anyone's picture til you. I tried with yours when I was in heat and I caved in. It made it worse really cuz I was about to run back to just take you there in the Guild hall. Still, I tried to be closer to you when I was sane. Even when… I smelled another guy's scent on you.

I already knew, Lucy. You were frightened that time. You didn't even let Levy know about it. You wore perfume to cover it, but I could tell. Gajeel wasn't there, so he never knew either. I don't know how far that guy got, but it wasn't all the way. I would have felt that then in the dream. I was about to kill that guy when I realized it. I didn't pressure you into telling, but I already knew. That's why I don't want you to be alone again. I said some rash things, but I… I just want you safe… I don't know much about all this mating stuff, but I just want to be by you, Luce.

Here, I am, back at my house with Happy gone to see Charle and the only thing I can do is just sit here. I know Master told me to wait til Levy and Gajeel finish looking into things. Yeah, I can't do that anymore, Luce. I'm gonna find you. I don't care how long it takes, if you get angry at me or if you run again. I'm gonna find you. Okay, lemme think. Where would you go? You're going to train, so large cities are out. Aside from that, not a clue. Arg, I was never good at planning this stuff. I always went into the mountains to train with Happy. Guess I better start there. Arg… Luce. You left me in a pretty stupid state.

"Leavin' so soon?" Shut it, piercings. Just standing there with your back leaning on the door frame. Like it matters that you're there though.

"Look, the guild's lookin' for 'er. If you're like this, you ain't gonna help. I can't tell ya ta cool it cuz I wouldn't if I was like that." Yeah, I could imagine you'd do worse than what I'm doing right now.

"That and Levy told me she's heard of the guy you described. That's a celestial spirit, one really good at stealth. He'll help her just fine. Bunny girl's weak, but she ain't that weak." I know that. I know that, metal brain. It's just... I have to tell her before she completely flips.

"If you're gonna leave, at least listen to Shortie for a bit. She's got some info for ya." Behind him, Levy popped up a thick dusty book that looks like it hasn't been open for ages. Inside, I didn't really read what was in it, but from a glance, it looked like there was some sort of profile for the guy I saw with Lucy. That's when Levy just out right slaps me. Yeah, the hell, Levy?

"You think that you can just waltz right out of here and find Lu-chan by yourself?! You're not the only one worried here! That and if you left, you wouldn't have known that you couldn't find her immediately even if you wanted to!" …now, I need explaining on that part. I just stare down at the blue haired girl… ahem, really tiny woman, in front of me.

"Lu-chan is probably in an isolated garden that Renaldo made." Renaldo? Who the heck calls themselves that? Seriously though, who the heck is he?

"Blame it on the legend and his capricious nature." Skip to the important part, Levy.

"Now, like you heard from Gajeel, he excels at stealth magic. No one knows why he's so good at it; all we know is that he has a bit of a thing for beautiful things, including untouched forests. He maintains a certain area of land that he keeps as his personal garden/seclusion spot. If Lu-chan were to train anywhere, it would be there." So basically, she's in a place I can't fucking reach. PERFECT.

"Here's the good piece of information. I happen to find out where it would most likely be." SPILL.

"There are only a handful of beautiful areas of forest that are eligible for him to take, so that limits down the choices. Also, we have rumors that-"… speak Japanese, Levy, not some unknown language.

"Look, it's simple. Just look around for rumors of mysterious forests!" There. Was that so hard, Levy?

"There's two places where it's likely to be, but you're not going to like where one of them is." WHERE?

"One's in Magnolia, but you've already gone there several times by now. That would be where you go when you're in heat." What? Yeah, I doubt they would go there… If this Renaldo guy really wanted to have this special garden, it wouldn't be here. Too much foot traffic.

"The other… is in Carade." She's in the belly of the beast… Just perfect.

"Levy, tell me what I'm gonna deal with there. I'm bringing Lucy back."

"We're comin' to, Flamebrain. We got an issue to settle with that asshole from before. You focus on getting Bunny girl." Fuck that, moron. There is no way in Hell I'm letting you get the fun here. That person is mine.

"IN ANY CASE, apparently, you can't just waltz right into his garden. He'll just confuse your senses and make you walk around. Even your sense of smell would make you go in a different direction. But you can challenge him. He has a thing for challenges. If you can beat him in his own game, he'll let you in… probably." What do you mean by PROBABLY?

"No one has technically won at his own game. These are only presumptions based on previous interactions with him from other people. Heck, when you first mentioned him, I didn't think it was possible. Lu-chan never mentioned anything about him." Yeah, that bugs me. She'd complain about him if she really felt like it. What was so special about this guy? What did he do that we couldn't?

She never used him in battle. If she did, we'd know. But I've never seen the bastard til now. And even when he pushed me, I smelt nothing from him. Like as he had a scent that blended in with all the other scents. Guess it makes sense that he's good at stealth.

Dammit, why did she have to hide herself!? That and… she's next to a guy I don't know and she trusted him enough to go with him instead of the rest of the guild. Instead of me…I'm really pissed about that. I barely have any sanity left in me and she expects me to just wait here after hearing THAT? The fact that I'm thinking should be proof of that I'm starting to lose it.… I know I'm simplistic and all, but I'm not that stupid. I can think, right?

Wait, Igneel said we'll share dreams til we… yeah. Maybe I should actually take a nap and see if I can get clues as to where she is… Luce, I know you're scared. Hell, I'm fairly sure that…. Wait, if what we did affects us in reality then… She'll think she's been raped. Her nightmare will come real in her mind. HELL. Screw that about waiting. I'm leaving NOW.

"Metal brain, tell Levy, I'm heading out. I can't wait. Lucy's going to be confused like hell." Knowing you, you could probably guess why, Gajeel. Your nose is still works.

"…oi, flame brain. Don't tell me you JUST HAD the dream now." Yeah, idiot. Just last night.

"Wait a sec, when did you and Levy have the dream? If she's your mate, shouldn't you have already done it in that dream?" Gajeel, why aren't you looking at me? GREAT MAVIS, are you blushing?!

"We had the dream about several months back and she remembers it but I never mentioned havin' the dream. When I smelt my scent on her, I knew." … and you've been as horny as I've been right now for the last few months with Levy in front of you. No wonder you always left the guild hall. I'd hate to admit it, but I give you props for that.

"Still, Gajeel, if that's the case, then why were you affected by the magic? I thought it wouldn't work on you if you already found your mate."

"Oi, for the last time, it ain't magic; it's pheromones. It's gonna affect me whether I like it or not. I was already horny like hell; ya think even I could handle that?" Point taken.

"Still, just take care of Levy. I can't say she's out of the danger either." Your grim face tells it all.

"Don't need you ta tell me that, man. Just go. I'll deal with Shortie." With that, you just wave your hand and leave. Thanks man. I owe ya. Luce, I'm coming for ya. Just wait for me. Please. Wait for me.

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So how are you guys liking this? I actually am not sure how you guys think about this. Give me a bit of info, so I can change accordingly. Have a good summer guys!


	18. Update: You're Going to Hate Me For This

Okay, guys. I'm at a loss as to what I should do for this fanfic. It's not like I'm planning to drop it, but I literally can't figure out how I should continue the story. I have a rough idea, but I can't go half-hearted on this stuff. SOOOOO... I'm sorry to say this, but I'm going to call a hiatus on this story.

Now, before you guys start spamming the reviews section, asking me to update, I will let you know this in advance. I will only stay on hiatus for 1 week. That is the limit I put on myself. I'm not having writer's block; I'm just needing some time to organize the plot more thoroughly. That and there's a lot of stuff happening at home right now, so family first. 1 week should be enough for that much. Once that's over, I'll post up regular chapters again.

I know you guys tell me I'm doing fine, but right now, I'm actually struggling to get inspiration. So give me some time. I know a lot of you guys will be impatient, but to make up for that I'll give you guys a long chapter when I get back, okay? And for you NaLu fans, you can already tell that what is going to happen next will be really steamy. (those who don't want to see that, you might want to avoid reading about half of the chapter...)

That and I'm thankful guys of what you've done. Over 11 K views? Damnit, I wasn't expecting so much from you guys. That's how awesome you guys are. That's why I want to give you guys the content that you deserve, not some crappy chapter that I spew out.

Also, for those of you watching my other story, the inspiration on that one is pretty fresh and I have already a lot of the chapters lined up, hence the regular update. That one is purely for my own enjoyment. This one though, I want to take more seriously. So bear with me guys!


	19. You're Mine, Luce

AND I'M BACK! I promised that I'd give you a long chapter after my hiatus and here it is. I'm sorry that it's not as long as some people would like it to be, but please, cut me some slack. I'm not the best at writing long chapter... ^_^;

From now, I'll keep my usual 3 days update status for both this story and my other fanfic. And damn... 70 followers? 35 favorites? You guys are awesome.

Now then. You guys know the drill. None of these characters minus Yew and Renaldo are mine. Who they belong to, by now, you should know.

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**Lucy's POV**

"Lucy-oujou-san, you move as if you are a walrus on a field. Surely you can do better than that." …Damn that spirit. I swear, I will wring his neck out when I get to him. It's already been 5 hours of straight training… I still can't get it out of my head though. To think that I was actually… Natsu… I don't think I can go back to Fairy Tail anymore. This guy, whoever he is, is after me because of my mom. I don't know who he is or why, but if he knows something, I have to get stronger. At least for that much.

"Princess, time for dinner." Virgo… I don't think I could eat even if you tell me that. Your cooking's heavenly, but the idea that I can eat at a time like this is….

"Milady. Training ends for today. Frankly, even if we do train, I can't say it's going to get better." …yeah, I already know why. 'My mind is not clear'… After waking up to that, I don't think most could have a clear mind. I just sigh and hope that whatever Virgo gives me could help me feel a little better.

The stew Virgo gave me is fairly light, easy to swallow, but filling. The flavor melts in the mouth and teases my taste buds. The potatoes and carrots have been cooked long so that they melt in my mouth and the mushrooms pop as well. You could say it's good, but… after a few bites, I don't want to eat anymore. Somehow, my appetite is already lost with a few bites. I continue eating though, knowing that if I don't, I'll be sore and weak tomorrow. By the end of the plate, I feel, rather than satisfied, empty.

I already know that sulking won't solve anything and that I don't know why I can't bring myself to look up, but… I really just can't see what I'll do once I get stronger. Defeat that bastard? That's a given, but what then? I could never go back to Fairy Tail, not after that. I barely had the guts to go back to Fairy Tail after… him. The bastard who nearly raped me. I was so thankful that he didn't though, but the way he looked at me…. I couldn't bear to go back to the guild almost.

_*flashback several weeks ago*_

_I was just on my way back from a shopping spree. Natsu broke half of my cups again so I needed new ones. I managed to find a decent deal. Before I knew it, someone grabbed me from behind. He held me against a wall with his hand holding my arm back and the other holding my hand. His wide grin was scaring me. I couldn't' see his face cause his black hair was covering most of his face._

_"__You are quite the pretty one." _

_"__Get the hell off!" I kneed him, or at least tried, but he blocked my knee kick with his own knee and got even closer to me. He growled as if he was teasing his prey. I grew more and more scared the closer he got to me. I tried to scream, but just as I was about to, he pushes his dry lips on me. I was completely shocked and terrified. Every time I tried to push away, he pushed back. He even stuck his tongue in and I bit him in return._

_"__Such ferocity. I like you even more…" His wide grin terrified me. He started unbuttoning my shirt and moving his hands up my skirt. I couldn't stop crying and screamed off the top of my lungs. It was worse than dying. The more I fought, more wounds started appearing and I was powerless._

_"__Come on, girl. Fight. It's no fun when you give up." At that moment, I touched my keys and called out Loke just in time before he nearly… raped me. His pants were already down. When Loke saw, he quickly punched the guy away and carried me home. As I looked back, the guy smiled and sent a kiss with his hand. I couldn't bear to be seen._

_When I got back to my apartment, I dashed to the shower and scrubbed my skin so hard, thinking that the feeling would disappear if I rubbed hard enough. After 20 minutes in the shower, I found it useless. It took every bit of my energy to bring Virgo here. I never explained how I got those wounds, but she patched me, probably knowing what happened. I covered up the scent with perfume, hoping Natsu wouldn't notice. Lucky or not, they looked like minor wounds that you could get from falling down the stairs. _

_That became my cover story. I walked back to the guild as I always did and I remember their faces. Levy was so scared that I broke something, but I already told her that I got checked out. Wendy wasn't there at that time, but Gajeel was a part of the guild. Luckily, it didn't really matter since he was gone. Natsu acted the same as always, or at least I think he was. Either way, I was too scared to ask. _

_I remember how I felt during that time. I felt something crawling on my skin during that time. I could barely walk without shaking. Once an hour passed, I told them I was going shopping. I remember Natsu offering to help._

_"__Hey, Lucy. Need a hand?" His bright grin at that time was both blinding and terrifying. Not cause Natsu was in the wrong. No, no. Never. I just felt dirty in his light; like he would expose every single flaw in me and be tainted in return._

_"__Nah, I'm good. If anything, I'll make Virgo or someone help me. Catch you later!" It took all of my skills in making faces to hide from Natsu my pain. As soon as I was out of view from the guild, I ran. I ran so hard that I couldn't breathe. I just wanted to keep running. Even when my legs were giving out, I didn't stop. I couldn't help but feel the guy behind me. _

_Once inside my apartment, I barred the doors, closed all of the windows and hid behind the curtains. I simply rocked there, crying. Hoping that this was a nightmare, I shut my eyes, trying to sleep. When I woke up 3 hours later in the same fetal position with red puffed up cheeks, I realized that it wasn't a dream. Knowing that it wouldn't make any difference, I just cooked at home and went to sleep. I don't even remember the details cause I was that out of it._

_Sometime during the night, I felt a warm hand on my cheek. It made me feel so much more at ease. As if something washed over all my anxiety and replaced it with comfort. I don't remember exactly when I woke up, but when I did, I saw you sleeping right behind me. Instead of kicking you off, I just held you closer. I think that was then when I realized just how much you meant to me. I couldn't hope to even match up to you, Natsu, but you were my light. That's why I was okay with you sleeping in my room. Even though I was scared of tainting you, but I couldn't help but indulge in you, Natsu…_

_*end flashback*_

I never thought after that point that I could ever… match up with Natsu. How could I have told him that I was nearly raped less than 2 kilometers from the guild? And not by any strong guy… just… how could I have told him?

"Lucy-oujou-san." Renaldo?

"It seems we have an intruder on the premises. I shall go to dispel him." … intruder? Come to think about it, no matter what we did, I never saw anyone pass through this area. I guess being a celestial spirit who excels in hiding things, he managed to hide this entire area. It's strange though… he's never mentioned about an intruder before. Wonder who it could be…

**Renaldo's POV**

Well, well, well. The dragon has come to reclaim his princess. Down below this very tree in fact. It's fair to say I'm fairly amused about how he's going about this. Following the nose? I could send Lucy-oujou-san's scent anywhere if I truly wanted to. However, this boy is quite the person. Strong and devoted, as I could expect from the one Milady has fallen for. However, it is clear though that he is a little rash. Lucy-oujou-san did request that he stay away, but here he is. Then again, knowing his type, he would disregard that.

"Hey, Renaldo or whatever the hell is your name! Come out here! I CHALLENGE YOU for the right to enter into your garden!" My, my. Quite feisty. All right. I'll take that challenge. I best offer my greetings then.

"Greetings, Dragneel-sama. May I ask what is your purpose for requesting entrance into my humble garden?" Well, he certainly seems to be losing his patience. Perhaps a tease will do very nicely.

"You know why I'm here. Where's Lucy?" Straight to the point. Good. Well then, dear sir, shall we play a game?... And with a simple swish of my hand, I fall out of your sight. Truly this is a good feeling. Simply being able to walk right next to you and you cannot see me. Clearly, this is a joy. With a simple whisper, you jump like a cat.

"Lucy-oujou-san is quite safe for the time being. The man who was chasing us before happens to be going on a different trail. I keep an eye on these things."

"Then why have you let Natsu so close?" Ah, his companions. I forgot about them. They seem to be more reasonable, although I am curious why they are so out of breath. Trying to catch up to this young one? I must admit, he seems quite fast. Perhaps a talk with do nicely with these two.

"A test." Yes, a test. As much of a free spirit I am, I do like to watch over Milady quite a bit. She needs the attention after all. Yes, she is frightened. I am unsure as to what has caused it, but I can at least be assured that this young man here is not the cause. Perhaps he would be a remedy for her heart. However, as a guardian, one must always test the faithful.

"Let me see… perhaps if you are able to find me… I will let the dragon in. I hope you know which one to send in." A simple glance at the black haired man with the blue girl describes it all. No need to even bother with them; their bonds are strong as possible. It is fairly clear as to who they will send in.

"I just gotta find ya, right?"

"That is correct, young dragon. And those two may not assist you." Hmm… closing your eyes to detect my motion? Quite a reasonable move, but useless in my case. I move like the wind and all the sounds I make simple disappear. Perhaps he may hear because he is a dragon slayer? Hmm… let us put this to the test. One jump ought to be enough. With a simple glide to the nearby tree, I move quickly to see if he notices.

Indeed he does, but he cannot pinpoint where specifically. Perhaps I should give more incentive to work a little harder.

"By the way, young dragon. Are you the reason why Milady is distracted?" You look up so quickly, trying to scan for another sound, but I simply can bounce my voice in another direction with ease. This never gets old.

"Milady has been working hard for the beginning, but for the last 3 days, her mind is clouded. Could you perhaps elaborate as to why?" Ho? He is guilty of something; the way his eyes tense up and he lowers his head says so. However, he remains silent there. Perhaps the cat got his tongue? Maybe a little more teasing.

"Ah… so it is you in her thoughts." Oh, I incite his anger by talking about such things. Excellent reaction though. The way he burns with flames all over his body and in his soul is astounding. If he was a sculpture, I would have marked him with my signature. Such as shame that he is not. Well then, let us see what he will do next.

"Ahh… such a temperamental Bou-chan we have here. Perhaps I should ask Lucy-oujou-san as to what I should do with you." Oh… now he is really boiling. I think he is about to blow too.

"Shut up." Oh?

"SHUT THE HELL UP! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT LUCY, ASSHOLE!?" Very temperamental indeed. You no longer are looking for me; you intend to beat me to a pulp. Well then, shall I return the favor?

"You know nothing! You don't know anything! Why has Lucy never used you until now?! Stealth would have been a great power in battle. Why now?!" Ah… well. That is a valid question, considering my position. Well, I admit, she probably could have had use for me. Why she did not, well, I do not have an answer for that. Perhaps I angered her enough for her to never use me. Fact is though, I do not know. That and I believe that she desired to fight directly with her enemies; eye to eye like the rest of the guild. Attacking from behind would seem cowardly in her eyes. Lucy-oujou-san truly believes in such things.

"Well then, Bou-chan, find me and you are permitted to ask Milady herself." Upon my word, this Bou-chan of ours is quite the feisty youngling. Perhaps that is why Lucy-oujou-san fell for him; the energy that he gives off, the loyalty he bears and the compassion for others. Well, then I guess I should take him seriously. A simple walk right next to him. I wonder if he will notice t-… well, well, well. He does have a second sight. Expected of a dragon slayer. Instead of relying on the senses of your human body, you rely on that of your magic, Dragneel-sama.

"…I found you, you fucking bastard." Oh, so quickly? Well, then, let us see if you truly have. Staying right in the spot that I am, you move towards me. Yes, very good, Bou-chan. And you stop right in front of me. Heaven knows how you break through the magic that surrounds me, but you penetrate my cloak with a simple punch. As expected of Milady's chosen one.

"Heh, was that all to your magic or were you just playing with me, jackass?" My, my. Such a reckless and violent young man. Well, naturally so. I knew from the beginning that you were no enemy. I called you an intruder, but intruders are not always enemies. My sincere belief is that Lucy-oujou-san deserves the joy we call 'unconditional love' and that it is my duty to see who is worthy. Of course my magic was not broken; I just let it down long enough for him to detect me. Stepping back up, I look at this young man with sincere eyes.

"A test, young sir. For now, I bow to you." Oh, he is quite flustered, I see. Quite young indeed. Well then, young dragon. Chase after the fairy that fled from your grasp. I cannot save Milady from a terror from inside; only you may do that, young man. Save her from herself, Dragneel-sama.

"Lucy-oujou-san is resting 162 steps in that direction there." I point towards Lucy-oujou-san's position, knowing that I may receive punishment for this disobedience. However, Lucy-oujou-san's happiness is more than satisfactory for one such as I. I leave this to you, Dragneel-sama. Time for this one step aside.

**Natsu's POV**

Luce… Luce… That night. That night you were crying in your room, wishing that you didn't go through what you did. I knew. I ripped away all of the bars covering your window and slipped right next to you. Looking down at your face, I already knew that you cried yourself to sleep, knowing what awaited you afterwards: fear. I couldn't bear to imagine that. I held you right there. I couldn't bear to think that you were starting to drift away.

You were already drifting away when Lisanna came back, but that was the final push, wasn't it? I wanted to make up the lost time with Lisanna, but I didn't intend on pushing you away. If anything, I thought you two could be friends if we hung out more. If only I… if only I went with you that day… I didn't want to see that happen again. That's why I kept coming to your room; to make sure that you slept without having nightmares.

Luce, I don't want to lose you again. Not when you this close to me. I'm running as fast as I possibly can to find you. That goddamn teaser back there; I don't know what the hell's his problem, but he just gives up like that? What the hell is his idea? I guess that's why you never used him til now; you probably didn't have much of a choice. His power would have been the only thing to save your ass from Yew. I just don't get it though. Luce, why won't you let me protect you? Am I so weak that I can't do that? Please Luce. Tell me

And there you are. Just staring right back at me as I come out of the bush, running at full speed. As if I am the devil, you run. I don't know why, but you run from me. At this point, I don't care if you run. I'm going to get to you back. I'm going to make you understand how I feel.

"Luce! Wait!" Please, Luce. Don't turn me away. Let me be by your side.

"J-just go away, Natsu! Please!" No, I can't. Not when I know what just happened to you. You run faster than what I remember, but it's not enough to get away from me. Within about a minute, I catch your arm and pull you in. You keep struggling, trying to free yourself, but I hold onto you. After all this time, I finally get to hug you, Lucy. The softness of your body, the curve of your back, and the smell of your body; I take this all in, making me feel more and more alive.

"Natsu! Please… I-" Before you say anymore, I just pull you closer to me until your mouth breathes right next to my ear. Instead of forcing you more, I stroke your hair, trying to calm you down before I explain what happened before. The feel of your hair on my fingertips make my hands feel burning, but I keep the same soft touch, hoping to not take you at that second. Just holding you, Luce, makes me almost lose my reasoning, but for some reason, the lust quiets down. Perhaps even the dragon in me realizes that I need to comfort you.

"Luce, what happened to you 3 days ago… I felt it to." The way your face changes into surprise makes all of this running here worthwhile. I don't care if I had to take the train partially to get here. Seeing you like this makes it all up to me.

"When dragons find a potential mate, we share dreams with them… if we… have sex in the dream, remember it and the body reacts to it… we become mates." Looking at your shocked eyes, I simply put my hand up to your cheek and wipe away the tears that start falling. I know that it's a lot to take in and that you might be hesitant about it, but Luce. I don't want to be apart. Not anymore. Please. I don't know how much more I can take. You hold your hand up to my cheek as if you're not sure if I'm here. I'm here, Luce. I'm here.

"Luce… I know about what happened several months ago. I smelt it." You tense up again, scared. Trying to ease your tension, I stroke your hair more. Still, you shiver within my arms as if you're freezing, Luce. Please.

"I don't care about that, Luce. If anything, I want to kill the guy who did that to you. I never want to see you like that again. Please, Luce. Don't leave me behind. Please, don't let me feel that again like last time." You open your eyes, remembering my past. That loneliness, that coldness, I never want to feel again.

"N-natsu…" Luce, your hand… it just strokes my cheek so faintly that it's torture. Please Luce. Don't. Otherwise, I won't stop. But just like that, you hold onto me tightly with your hands. You are shaking so much and like that, all I could think of was the feel of you in my arms. Your tears, I wipes them away more and more, but you won't stop crying.

I figure that it'd be useless for words to show you that. Luce, I might be just as guilty as that bastard that tortured you for so long, but… Luce, I don't want to hold back anymore. Every time you pushed away from me, I felt so sad, like something stabbed me. The feel of you right now… it's more than I can bear.

WARNING ** LEMON GRENADE COMING (if you know this reference and mention it in a review or PM, I will send a personal message back with a bunch of smiles) **

"Luce. Tell me to stop. If you don't, I'm going all the way." And you nod. You fucking nod. Now, I couldn't hold back anymore. Luce, you make me feel like I'm burning… I just push you down on the blanket you had out and kiss you so hard that I'm scared to think I hurt you. I hold your face close to me with my hands while you writhe underneath me. Bit by bit, you start pulling me down, allowing my body to rest on top of yours.

From that dream, I remember the feel of every piece of you, but it doesn't nearly match up to what you feel like now. Before, you felt soft and tasted a bit like honey in the dream. Now, it's so sweet and I feel like I'm the one melting in you. I didn't really look at you back in the dream, but now, I just want to see you, feel all of you. The weight of your boobs in my hands, the sleek feeling of your hair, even the wetness of your mouth. Everything. Everything. You never let me know directly what it is that you want, but I can tell. The way you moan when I start licking your neck. How you start pulling your head back every time you try to breathe. I know it all.

"N-natsu… I-I…Ah!.." Just like that, Luce. Don't hold back. I want to hear you. You taste more and more like vanilla now. So sweet. So captivating. I suck on one nipple while teasing you with my hand on the other and you start putting your finger in your mouth to cover the moans. Fat chance I'm letting that happen, Luce.

"Luce. Let me hear you." I pull away your finger and start sucking on your ear. I whisper to you, trying to get you to relax more. Even in this state, I want you to feel good. Trying to ease you more, I start feeling your chest underneath your clothes. I pinch one nipple while lightly touching the other. Your breath starts getting faster, gasping for air. The more you did that, the more your moans sounded perverted. Luce, just like that. Feel good. For me.

Moving my head between your legs, I start tasting you on the inside. You yelp a bit, but you start losing the strength to hold back. The taste of you… I can't even begin to describe how addictive it is. The wetness of you inside makes me thirsty for more, Luce. The way you tighten around my tongue makes me move my tongue more. I can't wait much longer, Luce. As good as your body feels on my tongue, I want to see all of you. Nothing in the way. With that in mind, I burn your clothes off.

"NATSU!" Yeah, I know you're mad at me burning your clothes off, but I can't wait. Anything covering you up, Luce, is a waste and should burn. Looking down at you, I notice the small scab wounds… wounds because of that bloody bastard.

"N-natsu? W-why are you l-licking me the- Ahhh…." I knew you were training, Luce, but any wound from another guy is not allowed. I'm disinfecting every single one of them. I don't care about you getting stronger or what not. I won't allow you to have these wounds stay. Luce… you're my mate and you will always be my mate. Cheating is not allowed. Not with a bastard like that.

"Luce. Are you-" Like that, you moan out so erotically as you cum that I thought I would lose my mind. I see you as you start breathing slower while you twitch down below. Your legs go limp and you can't even look at me. You cover your eyes with your arm. Like I'll let you do that.

"Luce. Look at me. Let me see you." Your eyes were slightly tear, but you looked so erotic, Luce. Your half opened eyes, the way the hair fell on your cheek, the sweat on your forehead. You really are too much, Luce. Already, I'm sweating, Luce. I'm sweating from you and you give me a smile that just pierces me so easily. Luce, I know I broke your hymen in the dream, but I don't know if it's still broken. Sorry. I can't wait. I want you. So I just move into you slowly. You squint your eyes a bit, but you let out so much air and moan so loudly that I almost think that I hurt you a bit. I don't feel the barrier, but Luce… you feel even tighter than before. I-I… I don't know just how long I'll hold out before blowing.

"N-natsu… y-you can move…" You really are the death of me, Luce. I move slightly faster and already, I'm losing my sanity. I-I….

"Luce… you're so wet and tight… You're clinging to me…" She really is. The way her folds wrap around my dick make me feel like I'm melting. Your moans j-just make me feel you more. Even your expression; the way you smile at me makes me… feel like I…I…. I c-can't think anymore. Just feel so good. G-gotta move faster. Gotta hear you moan louder. I-I…

"Natsu…I-AH!" Yeah, I'm cumming too, Luce. I-I…

"Luce..." Don't look at me like that. Don't look at me with those glazed eyes… N-no… Don't touch my cheek. I-I'll go crazy… And just like that, you give me such a intoxicating kiss. Dammit, Luce. You called for it. I'm going one more round.

Hey, let me hear you again in my ear. Let me feel your soaked skin again on my chest. Let me taste that sweetness inside you. Let me be here. Please. Luce, don't leave me alone. Let me fill you to the brim. I don't care how empty you feel right now; I'll just fill you up again with something warm.

"Luce… I'm not letting you run." Luce… Even like this, you're a sopping mess inside. Every time I taste your skin, I almost want to bite into you. The feel of your skin makes me want to be closer to you. Your mouth already makes me lose my sanity; the way you play with my tongue and suck me in. Luce, you are mine. I'll make you remember that.

"N-natsu? Why are yo- AH! … NATSU! You bit my cheek!" Marking you, Lucy. Now, you're mine. I don't care about Loke, Scorpio, Renaldo (or whatever his name is) or any of those male spirits. You're mine and none of those bastards are going to be near you again. I'll mark you all over the place. I'll make it clear you are mine.

"A-ah… Natsu… idiot…" Idiot? IDIOT? You're the idiot, Luce. You went to some other guy to train you. You let some other guy touch you. You let other guys get through to you. While I was trying to get to you, you let your guard down in front of another guy. Like hell I'm accepting that, Lucy.

"You're the idiot, Luce. I'm going to make you depend on me. I'm going to make you need me." I put my finger in your vagina, teasing you with my fingers. The way you move your hair as you gasp for air. You can't even open your eyes cause you're so engrossed in the feeling. And just when you're about to cum, I stop. You hate it, I know. But this is punishment. For making me like this. For driving me insane.

"N-natsu… tease." Yeah? Well, you got more coming of that. I'll just do that again; seeing you squirm is actually kind of cool. Besides, making you like this is easily satisfying for me. And just like that, you nearly cum, but I am still not letting you cum, Luce.

"Natsu…. Please. Let me cum…" Nope. Not yet. Not for another few times, Luce. I told you, I'm going to make you need me. The more you gasp for air, the more you beg, the more I'm tempted not to. But then you drag my face down and kiss me so hard that that alone makes you cum. Before I even get a chance to tease you more. Dammit, Luce, you're too tight. I swear there's no gap of air in you.

"Heh, Impatient huh?" The way your annoyed eyes tilt your eyebrows down and your mouths puffs up. So cute, Luce.

"It's your fault, Natsu." I know.

"Well, better finish this then. Sounds like those guys down there are done talking." Yeah, I heard them. Metal Brain's probably taking his sweet time talking to that poetic moron. Well Luce, I won't let them see you. I'm going to reach your limit. Just as you start opening your eyes, I lick your breasts and hold you close to me.

"Natsu?!" Yeah, I'm sticking my dick in, Luce. I can see how good it is on you. Your moans are really making me horny. Your folds won't let me go and I can't help but feel like I'm melting. You really are something. I d-don't…. shit… Too good. I can't… Luce… Sorry. But I ain't holding back anymore.

In and out… that's all I can think of. I can't slow down or even get out if I wanted to, which I don't. You're too tight on me, Luce. I don't think I'll last against you, but I'm not going to cum first. You are.

"W-wait! NATSU?!" No. Gotta go faster. Using my thumb, I rub your clitoris furiously and kiss you as I move. It feels damn good to me too, but it's probably phenomenal for you, Luce. I-I… I won't hold back anything. I'll letting the whole load out in you. Luce. You're my mate. I'm going to burn that into you.

"Luce, hold onto me." And just like that you do. You already know what happens here. We both cum , we always manage to do that. Guess that proves how in sync we are. Heh… Damn, I'm tired. Lying down right next to you, I pull you closer to me, feeling you. You know, Luce? When you look at me while you're lying down, you have a habit of licking your lips? Yeah, same here. Touching your cheek, I feel so much better. You're really here, Luce. You're really… here…

* * *

So guys, how was the long chapter? Let me know what you think and I will see you guys later! Bye!


	20. Just What Do You Take Me For?

I don't have much to say other than thanks, guys. You guys have been continuously reading this story, despite how kind of amateurish the style is... yes, it's an amateur's style. I'm not the worst, but I'm not that good either, guys. I'm still figuring out the kinks.

Without further ado, here's your chapter.

Remember, all the characters minus Yew and Renaldo are Hiro Mashima's characters!

* * *

**Levy's POV**

"So, you're just training Lu-chan? Why would you use boulder training? It doesn't seem to be very effective training." It does seem really odd. Strength is somewhat necessary for stealth, but I would think that concealing your presence would be of utmost importance. Lu-chan why haven't you told me about Renaldo? He's one of the more rare platinum keys out there. Only a handful of people ever can stand him because of his ridiculous manners and last I recall, he was last in the hands of an unknown stellar mage who only called on him just to talk. Strange considering the type of person he is…

"Ah, Lucy-oujou-san's training right now is actually check her mentality. This is hardly training. Although I have not lied to her about the physical training helping raise her magical stamina, my purpose here to first see if she has the capability to lose track of herself in her surroundings." …come again? Looking down at me, he just pats my head with an amused look on his face. I swear, I am very tempted to slap him.

"Oi, feather boy, give it to us straight. What the hell duhya mean?"

"Lucy-oujou-san is too self-conscious. The more she is aware of her own presence, the more she is noticed. Furthermore, if she spends her time with the heads in the clouds, she is incapable of learning." Lu-chan… I guess that it makes logical sense. Lu-chan was always aware of her position in the team and never could concentrate on her own target to her full capacity. However, is that really all that's to it? Seems kind of too simplistic for magic that supposedly one of the most difficult categories of magic.

"Some the wisest of truths, Levy-oujou-san, are often dangling in front of yours eyes. One must empty their cups before attempting to fill it with tea again."… It is really understandable that there are a lot of people who wouldn't put up with this guy. Speaking in riddles would drive most people up the wall. If that's why Lu-chan never used him, I can relate in a way.

"Still, jerk, why is it that you let Natsu through?" I'm also curious about that. There's no way that Natsu got through that easily… Wait, is this guy smiling? Lu-chan, exactly what sort of guy is this Renaldo?

"Lucy-oujou-san needed him. Surely, you can hear them, Levy-oujou-san. Perhaps this gentleman here can elaborate on what those two young lovers are enacting?"…Gajeel, why are you blushing and not looking at me? I can barely hear their voices, but I can't tell what they're saying or doing… They sound lik-… Hey, Gajeel. Don't tell me that they're… Oh great, Lu-chan. You two are really not holding back then… Well, everyone in the dorm knew that you two loved each other to death, so it's not too difficult to imagine what's is happening over there...

"A-ahem, all right. Then could you elaborate about all of the details on who the enemy is?" …Renaldo looks more grim. Something tells me that he knows more than he's letting on. If he does, we can't let this go. If we're going to have to leave Lu-chan here, we need to make sure the person who's protecting her or is at least by her side is trustworthy.

"Yew-dono was someone who came to my previous master, Laila Heartiphilia. I knew that he wasn't to be trusted and Laila-sama agreed. Jude-san asked her not to go, but if you consider Lucy-oujou-san's personality, it is feasible to imagine Laila-sama's reaction." If her response was remotely similar to Lu-chan's, I could imagine the falling.

"Not all was bad between Jude-san and Laila-sama. In fact, it was fairly comforting. This was about 3 years after Laila-sama met Jude-san from an introduction of her partner, Mera-oujou-san, Jude-san's sister." Lu-chan had an aunt? Why haven't we heard about any of this?

"Jude-san… was at first a dear friend, to both of us. Before I could spot the clues, I witnessed those two falling for each other." Lu-chan never really talked about her family; the only time we really heard about it was when her father tried to get her back to the mansion via force. I can't imagine how Lucy's mother fell for such a guy. I know he got better after he fell into debt, but… before?

"Jude-sama was very different before Laila-sama's death. Although he was a very stoic person, he truly showed his caring nature. I remember the time when he carried Laila-sama all the way back to his home when she fainted on the road. However… it was really Yew-dono's fault that… Jude-sama became colder than ice at heart." …what? So basically, the person who caused Lucy's father to be the coldhearted man that he was before he died is the guy who is chasing her? Exactly who is this enemy that we're fighting?

"Yew-dono… was a client for a job that Laila-sama and Mera-oujou-san were commissioned for and already, we felt uncertain about the description of the job. It matched the exact one for Lucy-oujou-san's job, so surely even you two may comprehend the uncertainty of it." Yeah, that job was an odd one… I guess there wasn't much money back then, even for someone like Laila-san. Or maybe... she did it for the same reason Lu-chan did the job? Who knows? If Lu-chan's father was like the way Renaldo describes him to be, it wouldn't be too hard to imagine some fights...

"Then… Laila-sama met Yew-dono for the job. It was already a skeptical decision on her part at that point to stay, but both of them acknowledged that it would be dangerous to leave at that point. However, Laila-sama found herself regretting the decision to not leave. Yew-dono created his first doll in front of Laila-san's eyes: Mera-oujou-san..."… how horrible. I can't begin to imagine how Laila-san or Jude-san felt… His sister? There's no wonder why he acted the way he did. He was frightened of letting Lu-chan go and must have gone insane because of that fear… Still though, it's not an entire excuse, but at least we know now. At least he's not a complete bastard in our eyes.

"Laila-sama defeated him, but at a high cost. Laila-sama could not summon us with her magic… All of her magical strength dissipated like the wind." …what? Is that even possible?

"Back then, we were all separated under order of Laila-sama to be either passed on to other mages or to be sold to shops for Lucy-oujou-san's fund except Aquarius who was given the duty to watch over Lucy-oujou-san until she deemed it necessary. She doesn't know this, but the reason why she was easily able to pass through to Magnolia was because of that fund…" Wait, what? Lu-chan said her journey to Magnolia was easy, but I didn't think that it was because of something like this. It makes sense though. There are a lot of thieves here and yet, she wasn't ever attacked by them on her way. I guess there was some guard or someone protecting her until she was safe in Fairy Tail… I wonder how that person would have known that she'd come here…

"Bunny girl's not going to like this at all…" Yeah… Lu-chan thought that she was able to survive on her own because she was strong enough then, but if she heard this? She'd be even more depressed. I can't imagine how she would react or what she'd do…

"I should hope that you'd keep this a secret. I have doubts about Dragneel-sama doing so, but I should presume that the two of you would." Knowing Natsu, he'd might keep it a secret but then only spill cause he felt guilty.

"Rest assure, we won't." As if we could have the heart to…

"Still, that ain't the whole story, is it pal? I can see how this bastard has an obsession over Bunny girl, but that doesn't explain why or how he used that sort of magic. Care to shed some light on that, man?"

"Yew-dono, according to his own opinion, manipulated people via magic, but somehow, Laila-sama didn't seem to take the bait so easily. She kept repeating the word 'zodiac signs' for days to follow." Zodiac signs? As in the Gold Keys? Well, most of the keys are in Lucy's hands, but supposedly, if we follow the logic of the story, Laila-san had all of them at one point in time. If that's the case, why would they be linked to Yew? It doesn't make sense…

"Then can I ask something? If that's the case, why haven't you said any of this to Lu-chan? Surely, you could have just told her some of this stuff." Some of the details about Yew could have been told. In fact, he should have told her. It might have saved a lot of trouble on her side.

"Without explaining how? Surely, you jest. Even Lucy-oujou-san cannot miss such an obvious target. Furthermore, I can't bring myself to this world alone. Lucy-oujou-san is my gatekeeper as much as I am her knight. Until the moment she called for me to rise from the celestial world, my words would not reach her." Knowing Lucy, she probably would figure it out. She's not completely dense and she probably could figure out the connection.

"Still, you have to tell her. At least before she finds out or-"

"OR WHAT?" Lu-chan?!

"I already heard everything from the beginning. So is that the truth, Renaldo?" Looking at Renaldo, I can see that he didn't expect Lu-chan up so quickly. Thinking about Natsu's recklessness, I'd think the same, but Lu-chan isn't that weak, so I guess it makes sense.

"…Yes." Lu-chan…

"What am I, A PIECE OF PASTRY!? I can handle that much! I kind of figured that I was being bloody protected back then! A girl with almost no weapons and walking by herself? Even I knew then that something was off!" Lu-chan…

"Levy, Gajeel. I'm not blaming you guys. You just heard. It's not like you guys are guilty for that, but RENALDO. You, you knew. And you said nothing? I'm not so weak that I can't handle that. Or are you guys saying that I am?! I know that I'm so goddamn weak, but I don't need protection that much!" None of us can really look at Lu-chan, but we can all tell that she's raging out. She probably has a lot to deal with at heart. Natsu's holding her up by her waist, but she looks more scary than any dragon I would imagine.

"Physically, I'm a goddamn baby. I know. But I am not so weak at heart, Renaldo. I thought I proved that to you."

"Lucy-oujou-san, is that truly the case? Your mind would never clear up with all of the training we did and if anything, you became much more restless. How many time must I repeat the importance of losing oneself in the environment?" I'm still uncertain as to how I should comprehend that methodology, but I can at least understand his concerns. Lu-chan, you were saying before that you didn't feel strong enough for the guild and that piece of information would have confirmed that. Would you have accepted it so readily, I wonder? I still agree that Renaldo should have told you, but are you ready to accept the truth, Lu-chan?

"Then what?! What the hell am I supposed to do!? 'Lose myself in the environment'? I CAN'T BLOODY TELL WHAT THE HELL YOU MEAN!" L-lu-chan… calm down… You're already breathing pretty heavily and I doubt after what you went through with Natsu would help with that.

"Bunny girl, calm your head off. What this guy's sayin' is that you need to stop lookin' at yerself like a goddamn person and start thinkin' like you're a part of the environment." … if it was that easy, I'd think a lot of people would have been able to master it. Well, then again… it is hard to visualize yourself as a tree or anything like that, so I'll take their word for it.

"Hey, feather guy. I get what this has to do with Lucy and all, but there's one thing I don't get. Why would he need the other mages? Levy here said that he kept the other female mages as puppets and about something to do with making stuff, but it doesn't add up." Natsu's right; why the investment?

There has to be more to this story than just a madman trying to capture trophies, if you can call them that. Making a country takes time, effort. This guy doesn't seem to the type to just jump into the game just for one mage unless it's worth it. Mages try going to Carade all the time to find out about new magic secrets. There's no problem with sources of mages. Even with the obsession with Lu-chan's mom, there's no reason to think why he would specifically go for her. Lu-chan may look like her mom, according to Lu-chan's information, but is that enough? I guess so. There are far worse reasons to…

"…" Why the silence?...

"Wait, Yew… Yew… where 'ave I heard… SHIT." Gajeel?

"I thought I recognized the bastard. It's no fuckin' wonder than he knows so much about magic. I've never met 'im, but I've heard rumors about a traveling mad mage from a destroyed country: one that could not produce mana on their own." They can't produce mana? That's the very source of our magic. How is it possible that… oh great Mavis.

"Yeah, Shortie. They used other people's lives as a source of mana. There's a reason it's now destroyed." I remember that country. Noira. If I recall from the books I've read about it, it was a dark country of people who constantly bought human slaves as a source of energy for their daily rune spells and needs. Supposedly, the leader of the army who destroyed the country was Karl Kyslenska… Kyslenska… Hmm… If I recall, they became quiet scholars after they destroyed that country and fell off the records from there. Why scholarly work? They were fighters and hardly interested in books, according to the journals they left behind.

"So, this guy's from that country?"

"That would be unlikely, Dragneel-sama. Noira was destroyed over several centuries ago. Perhaps this man found the ruins?" According to historical records, any book containing anything related to that country was burned. Then again, who knows? A code in a diary could have been the secrets of this sort of magic, but still… why now? With the level of power he's got, I'd think we'd have heard some sort of warning from the council about this…

"Look, for the time being, let's get some shut eye til morning. I think we can talk more about this… when we're a little bit more awake."… well, I could agree for you and Lu-chan, but Gajeel and I ar-

"That'll do. Comin', squirt?" Excuse me? We're in the middle of a serious conversation here! We're dealing with a psychopathic idiot here who's after Lu-chan's life and you guys ar-... Gajeel, why are you blushing? Please let me hope that you're not still… well.. turned on? Judging by the way you're fidgeting, I guess yes. Looking at you from my shortened view, you bend over and whisper in my ear.

"When 2 guy dragon slayers are close to each other and both are in heat, they get competitive." …are you serious? You guys are having a cock battle when we're trying to save our skins from the hands of a delusional bastard who manipulates woman mages! Did I happen to explain that he's particular about the woman part? We are no-

"Sorry, Shortie. You're not sleeping tonight." … *sighs* You have got to be joking me. G-gajeel. I-it's fine. W-we can talk this o-ou- And before I am able to utter any of those words, you drag me away. Seriously… dragon slayers… What is it with you guys and territory issues?

* * *

I couldn't resist adding a little bit more lemon. Have to ease out of the lemon phase or it'll be bad later on...


	21. You Guys Will Really Hate Me For This

Okay, guys. I know I just had a hiatus on you, but right now... I have A.) a summer job to do now and B.) I'm slightly on the depressed side. I know this isn't the things you want to see posted on this fanfic, but I have to stop for a while. At least until I get my bearings. I don't want to write this story with a clouded mind or the chapters will be crap. I mean it. I promised at least decent quality work on this story and I don't plan on changing that policy.

I'm not planning on dropping this story forever. It's just that I can't handle writing it right now without bursting into tears or trying to hit myself.

My other story can continue because I can write it without that sort of reaction. Humor tends to do that to people. So I'm sorry if I'm making you guys really frustrated with me. I would love to say I can continue doing this while feeling like crap, but if I do that, I will write crappy chapters and no one likes that when it happens. So bear with me. I'm really sorry, especially for those who recently started following this story.

In return, I'll try to post up several chapters when I'm feeling better. With luck, I'll be able to give about 3-4 chapters in decent quality some time in the middle of August or earlier. I don't have a specific time line, but I'll try to do it before September when everyone's in school. Now, if you have complaints, send it to me in PM form. No complaints in the reviews section, okay? Don't make the other readers feel bad. If someone's to blame, blame me.


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